8 Hours in London
“Traveling is worth more than money ever will be.”
When I booked my trip to Greece, I had an eight-hour delay in London. The airport, Heathrow, is about an hour outside of the city. I have stopped in London many times, but I never had time to leave the airport. At first I was disappointed by the time I would waste, until the light went off in my head.
I figured I would need about an hour to get in and out of the city, as well as time to go through customs. However, I figured I could salvage a good four hours if I was savvy. My skin tingled, as I realized I would receive a free stopover in London.
Lucky for me, I have lots of traveling friends. I resorted to Facebook to find out what would be the most efficient way to travel into the city. I was advised to take the Heathrow Express, which cut my travel time down to about 20 minutes.
When I reached Paddington, I asked the train conductors how to navigate London. I pulled out my list of desired venues and chose Buckingham Palace as my first stop.
After checking out the palace, I proceeded through Green Park. I realized how lucky I was to be trekking around London, and I was filled with gratitude. Exploring always brings me to my happy place.
I love nature. Although I had a list of places to see, I was enjoying my walk through the park. I decided to just go with the flow and continue meandering through the greens of the city. I knew I only had so much time, and I did not want to waste the minutes sitting on a train trying to conquer the city. I just wanted to enjoy my time, explore, and get lost in the moment. Thus, I continued through Rose Garden and Hyde Park.
On my walk, I spied flowers, people, lakes, birds, sculptures, and more. I stumbled upon the Princess Diana Memorial Foundation, and I stopped to think about all she had contributed to our world. I admired all she symbolized.
I continued through Kensington Gardens and checked out Queen Caroline’s Tomb. The greens stretched on forever, and I decided to make my way back into the city before I got lost. I did not want to risk missing my international flight. Plus, I did want to see a little more of London.
I had time for one more landmark, and I chose Big Ben in Westminster Pier. I scurried to the streets, looking for the Underground. I was tempted to stop and see the various landmarks, but the clock was ticking. I did squeeze in the quaint Kensington Church, as it beckoned me for a quick photo opp.
When I reached the pier, I asked where Big Ben was. I was told to look up, and I was a slightly disappointed not to see Ben in all his glory. I could have gone to the Tower Bridge. Instead, I chose the landmark that was being restored. And then I stopped myself, as I reminded myself how lucky I was to be wandering the streets of London.
I made my way back to the fast train, and I wished I had purchased a round-trip ticket. That would have saved me the aggravation of trying to figure out how to buy my ticket back to the airport.
I had more than enough time to spare, and I grabbed my first meal abroad. I had been snacking on power bars and gluten-free tortilla chips all day. As I waited for my flight, I remembered how easy Europe is to navigate. I decided to explore long layovers on future trips to Europe. And, when I went through customs, I was asked why I only had a U.S. passport on me. The seed was planted. Shall I pursue a dual citizenship from Greece?
I am a traveler, but I had not traveled solo to Europe for ages. I had started the day with apprehension, wondering if I could conquer the city in a day. Would I get lost? Would I even know where to go or what to do? Would I have the energy to trek the city after not sleeping all night? I had to laugh at myself. Of course I did. I explored. I enjoyed myself. I was thankful. I enjoyed the moment.
More blogs from this trip:
- Greece: Return to the Motherland
- Athens: Beach. Acropolis. Theater.
- Lakka, Paxos, Greece
- Spontaneous Stonehenge Adventure
Pictures:
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