London

August 2022

The thing I love about London, is that it feels like you're time traveling. The past is very present. You can see it and feel it. You can walk on it and touch it. I also like how connected you feel to the rest of world when you're there.

It's pretty amusing traveling from a super casual place like Hawaii, and America in general, to a super proper place like London, but that's part of the fun of traveling. You see how people do things differently and realize there is no one right way of living.

This photo was taken at least 20 years ago outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. It was quite the spectacle watching the guests arrive. It seemed more like a movie set than real life! I don't know what the occasion was. Probably one of the Queen's garden parties. 

When it comes to traveling, the highs and lows are often extreme.

The first time I went to London, I was around 20. I went with my boyfriend, at the time, to meet up with two of his friends that were traveling around Europe. We were only there for 4 days, and it was an absolute nightmare! He had a nervous breakdown or something and we couldn't leave the hotel room. He just wanted to go home.

His friends kept calling the room until he took the phone off the hook. The staff would slip notes under the door telling us that we had guests trying to get a hold of us.

We flew 11 hours home in complete silence. It's been over 20 years now, and I still can't believe that I allowed myself to be held hostage like that. It was such a waste and one of my worst memories.

Now you know why, despite my anxiety, I have no problem traveling (and living) on my own. In fact, I prefer it. The alternative is intolerable! Anyway, that is a story for another post. This one is about travel!

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The summer after that disaster, I signed up for a study abroad program to go back to London. I wasn't a student at the university that was hosting this program so, I didn't know anyone. I didn't really make any connections. So, I did everything by myself. Which turned out to be great, and life changing.

The living situation was rough though. This was my first time living in a dorm. I hated it! Only 1 working toilet and 2 showers on a floor with 23 girls! No TV and this was before Wifi. Just a cold, solitary cell, alone with your thoughts.

This was the first time I was really on my own. I went out and explored and I loved it. I was there for a month. On the weekends, I'd take trips to Wales and Scotland.

This experience laid the foundation for who I was to become. I wouldn't have done half the bold things I've done in my life had I not done this. There wouldn't be any other travel pages on my website either as I wouldn't have found one of the great joys of my life - traveling.

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My third visit to London, was about 8 years later. I had just finished my first year of law school, I rented an apartment for a week. I'll never do that I again. Too many weird things and no one to help you. I prefer hotels where there are people to help. This was before Airbnb existed and why I've never stayed in one. 

I had two friends from law school visit me for two days. I showed them all of the iconic sites we could fit it in 2 days which was a lot! No matter how many times you visit London, you'll never see it all!

Parliament 2007

Tower Bridge

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Twelve years later, I was about to turn 40. I had high expectations around ringing in my birthday, because it is a milestone and because I observed on social media (ugh) one by one as my friends had thoughtful and elaborate 40th celebrations. You fool. This of course led to utter disappointment when no one did shit for my birthday. Half of my family left on my birthday to go on a road trip. I bought my own cake. I got depressed.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

My life has never been remotely like anyone else's. Sometimes during moments of wanting to be "normal" it can feel painful. Anyway, shame on me for relying on other people. I know better. Happiness is an inside job. If I want to be celebrated I've got to celebrate myself.

So, when 41 came around I took matters into my own hands. 

My favorite band in the world Rage Against the Machine, was going to be kicking off their European tour in Scotland, just days before my birthday. Two of my favorite things! What could be more epic?! I bought a ticket to the concert and started planning my trip back to the UK.

I was going to start off in London.

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The morning of my flight, about a half hour before my taxi was scheduled to arrive, I got a text message from Ticketmaster telling me to check my email. The concert had been cancelled due to Zach de la Rocha's injury. He had torn his ACL while preforming a few weeks before and his doctors advised him not to travel to Europe. 

I was in shock and then started laughing hysterically. I was about to fly across two oceans to see him. 

The show was cancelled but my trip went on and, I got on the plane. I flew from Maui to Phoenix, and Phoenix directly to London. While checking in for my second flight, I got an unexpected offer to upgrade to Club World - British Airways first class! Yes, please! It was a 10 hour flight and worth every penny! And it was shockingly reasonable! And it will probably never happen again! This was in 2022, just post the height of the pandemic, travel hadn't picked up yet. There were a lot of open seats on the plane.

The plane was delayed. My seat was broken which quickly enraged me but, luckily there were enough open seats that I was able to switch. I sat in front of a lady that kept cussing to herself. I kept hearing, "this is fucking bullshit" and "son of a bitch." She was probably me in 20 years. She snored loudly. Somehow, I was still able to get some sleep in my little suite which was wonderful and so rare for me.

When I got off the plane, I started following the signs to baggage claim, or so I thought. I was about to get on an escalator when an airport employee looked up from her phone and asked me, "Are you sure you don't want to take the train?"

Me: To baggage claim? Her: Yep. Me: Ok! Thanks angel lady. 

I hadn't left the country in over a decade. Everything was so new and high tech. There were about 30 passport reading machines. You just scan your passport and the machine takes your picture. 

What?! No stamp?! 

I got my luggage and then tired to buy a subway/tube ticket into the city. The machine wouldn't take my credit card 3 times. I panicked. Then I tried a different machine and it worked on the first time. 

The underground network is massive but well signed. I've only gotten lost once, which is saying something. Many stations have a shocking amount of stairs. The tube is often very crowded and super hot, there's no A/C.

I rode the tube for an hour into Bloomsbury, in Central London. This is the neighborhood where I stayed when I studied abroad years ago at the University of London. It's got lovely parks and lots of bookstores. 

I arrived at my stop and lugged my luggage up the stairs to the street. It was pouring rain and, I wasn't quite sure which direction to go. I couldn't remember and nothing looked familiar. It had been 20 years since I had gotten off at that tube station. My phone's map wasn't working, or anything else. (You have to change a setting on your phone.) The employees were shouting for people to get out of the station who were taking shelter from the rain. I stepped out and just made an executive decision and it was the right choice. 

I found my hotel. It was nothing special but so much better than the dorm I lived in just down the street. I remember walking by this hotel when I was a student wishing that I could stay here for just one night. Finally, I was doing it! It only took 20 years. 

I ate at the hotel restaurant and then walked down to the little park across from my old dorm and shot this video. This was my first time to London with a smartphone and a website: 

After making this video I went to bed! My first night was rough with jetlag. 

Day 1

My first day, I went to the British Museum, because it was just around the corner and, because it was the designated pick up location for several day tours I had planned. I wanted to know how long it would take for me to walk there.

When in London, your main transportation is your own two feet. Much of Central London is a maze of small narrow one-way streets. You can often get to where you want to go by foot quicker than the tube, bus, or a cab. I've never lived anywhere that is "walkable." It can be quite jarring to the body for anyone accustomed to driving everywhere. You've got to carry everything you need with you too.  

The British Museum is huge. You can spend more than one day looking at stuff (stolen artifacts). Oh, and it's free!

Next, I got on one of the double decker hop on hop off busses, that takes you to all the major iconic sites. It's a total rip off but usually a good way to see a lot of attractions in a short amount of time, without a lot of effort, which is great when you're jet lagged. 

Transportation is my number one challenge when traveling. 

Traffic was terrible and it was very hot. We mostly just sat in traffic baking in the sun until eventually there was an announcement that there was a traffic diversion and we had to get off. Figures.

I made my way to Buckingham Palace.

Big Ben

The London Eye

Buckingham Palace

Day 2

Twenty years ago, I took a tour called Stones & Bones which went to Stonehenge, Glastonbury, and Avebury. I loved it. It was the first thing I wanted to do again. I wrote a separate post about the tour here.

Day 3

After a long terrible night, I'm glad that I was able to drag myself out of bed, bright and early, and go on another organized tour. This time to the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace.

This tour went so much more smoothly than the day before. Wow what a difference! It was so lovely. I wrote a separate post about the Cotswolds here, I must go back to explore more! I loved it!

After lunch, we visited the little churchyard where Winston Churchill is buried. 

Next, we went to see where he was born, at Blenheim Palace. 

Blenheim Palace, is a site to behold it's so massive and beautiful. I can't believe that people still live here. This place wouldn't have even been on my radar if it wasn't a part of the Cotswolds tour. I'm glad it was.

I took so many photos that I've posted more Blenheim Palace pictures here.

Day 4

I headed to Scotland, for a few days and crashed with family friends. On my first day back in London, I was pretty spent. As someone who is used to driving everywhere, it's a shock to the system to all of a sudden be walking miles and miles each day. My legs, feet, and back all ached. I was hobbling around by this point but you have no choice but to keep going and keep exploring. I really wanted to eat at the Sherlock Homes pub but it was freaking closed. 

The Tower of London

Day 5

St. Paul's Cathedral is jaw dropping inside.

Day 6

I took another organized tour with International Friends to Warner Bros. Studios - The Making of Harry Potter & Oxford. OMG it was so much fun!! It's everything a Potterhead could hope for. I wrote about Harry Potter Studios here. 

After the most fun ever, we went on to explore Oxford. This was another almost 12 hour day, but I didn't travel all this way not to do and see as much as I could. Soak up the history. It's Britain's oldest university. I wrote about Oxford here. 

Oxford

Day 7

I'm always so proud of myself when I get anywhere new on my own. This day I made it to Windsor. It was not without hiccups, confusion, mistakes, and aching legs but nevertheless I persisted!

I toured the elaborate staterooms inside the castle. I really liked the gardens more than the inside. It cost extra to see. Only a couple of pounds. Well worth it. I met the elderly Gardner born and raised in Windsor. He pointed out a fish in the pond to me.

There's no pictures allowed inside St. James Chapel. I was there just 2 weeks before the Queen died. She is now buried there with the rest of her family.

See more pictures of Windsor Castle here.

After this adventure, I headed back to the British Museum to check out their special exhibition Feminine Power: the Divine to the Demonic which explores the significant role that goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints have played – and continue to play – in shaping our understanding of the world. Something right up my alley!

Day 8

I visited the Natural History Museum to check out the dinosaurs. What another just massive place you can spend hours or days exploring. This place had a ton of little kids.  

Afterwards, I went to Watkins Bookstore, one of the oldest independent bookstores, with the biggest selection of esoteric books. I bought quite the heavy load to carry back with me. I have no will power to control my purchasing when it comes to books - or oracle cards. 

I also visited Treadwell's bookstore in Bloomsbury. An equally awesome occult bookstore near the British Museum. I left there with another bag of books to shlep home! Why do I do this to myself? I had also bought 2 books while in Scotland, and 1 big one at the British Museum. Good thing I brought an extra duffle bag! Seriously, I have a severe problem.

Day 9

My last day in London, was my 41st birthday, and the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. I went to Kensington Palace where she lived for 15 years. The gate was decorated in tribute to her memory. 

I watched as news vans started rolling up with press from around the world. Not surprisingly there was no mention of the anniversary on the nightly news in London. I watched to see if I could see myself walking in the background. Nope.

In the palace café, I was ecstatic to see a gorgeous fudgy chocolate cake. I bought a piece for my birthday treat and proceeded to walk around with it for a few miles, looking for the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, on the other side of the park.

Making my way back home was problematic because Google Maps was taking me to streets that were blocked off. Luckily, a local lady who was trying to use the same street helped me get around the obstacle and back on track.

Who walks seven miles carrying chocolate cake?! I DO!!

It was so delicious.

When I touched down in Honolulu, I turned my phone on to find multiple messages informing me that the Queen had died. Wow. That was stunning world changing news. 

Nearly every place I had just visited closed for a 10 day period of mourning. I watched from 7,000 miles away basically a recap of my entire trip on TV. Very surreal. 

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