When researching how to get over jet lag, I don’t think you’ll find walking 14 miles after an overnight flight on the list of suggestions. However, it is certainly a great way to step into London...or at least reach 29,582 steps in a day. Here’s how it all happened. My friend Alex and I flew into Gatwick and met our other friends Tyler and Tanya. We arrived in London around 7:30 in the morning and met at our hotel. We knew the best way to adjust to the new time zone was to avoid sleeping. In addition, it was our only day to see London, so we intended to do as much sightseeing as possible. We headed for Hyde Park and had lunch at St. James. I ordered fish and chips, which left me pondering the idea, that if the British refer to french fries as “chips”, what do they call actual chips? After our lunch we walked to Buckingham Palace. The palace itself was pretty neat, but very touristy. We then headed to the London Eye and Parliament. There was a park across the street from Parliament and we spent quite a bit of time there. It had an incredible view of a church, and I had an opportunity take in all of the beautiful architecture. There were so many intricate details, which could easily be lost in the vastness of the building. The rest of the day was spent walking what was supposed to be an hour long journey to our hotel. However, as Robert Frost said best, “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Being in the center of London I had the opportunity to witness people walking throughout the streets passionately supporting Brexit. It was through these moments that I recognized the significance of time. An individual’s passions and goals are driven by the political, social, and economic climate at a certain point. All three of these fluctuate constantly, gaining the ability to transform a country in just a short matter of time. It is with this notion I feel so much gratitude for the time that I will be spending abroad. It has allowed me to witness events, that in a matter of weeks or months may no longer occur. Now I am off to Sweden. Thank you for following along on my adventures in London. I guess it may be a good time to start learning some Swedish!
*Please note this was originally written on 8/24/19.