It’s hard for me to imagine filling my upcoming summer schedule with yet another excursion, but that’s exactly what I’m doing. Although this trip has been in the works since back in December, it’s now officially going to happen.
There’s not turning back.
The tickets have been purchased.
And I’M GOING TO LONDON!
::squeal::
On Saturday I purchased my roundtrip ticket, which has me leaving Newark at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2 and arriving at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 3. Yes, that means I’m taking a red-eye, but that also means I get to enjoy a full day in England instead of taking off an extra day for flying or simply losing a day altogether for flying. I’ll spend 4 days in there before taking off Monday morning. Because of time zones and non-stop flights, I actually get back mid-afternoon on Monday, which gives me plenty of time, to get home, unpack and sleep.
I know what you’re thinking: Oh the irony of going to England over Fourth of July weekend. And I’m using my stimulus payment to boot!
Quite a few people have asked me why I am going to London. Well, my two best friends from high school are currently gallivanting around Europe (they are headed to Spain later this week) and I am here chained to a cubicle. One friend has spent the last year in Germany studying on a Fulbright scholarship, and my other friend is spending three months touring Europe. I, of course, was the one who had to get a job right away because of a little thing we like to call diabetes. I probably could have figured out some way to travel around the world for awhile, but I don’t think it would have lasted very long and it certainly wouldn’t have been safe had I gone by myself. I would love to travel more extensively when I’m older but hopefully I will have a friend/boyfriend/husband to do it with.
Anyway, I am using their whirlwind adventure in Europe to have a little one of my own, so I’ve seized the opportunity and requested a couple of days off to go to London. What’s great is that this is on a holiday weekend, which means I’m forced to take a day off, and also that I now live on the East Coast which means it’s a lot easier to get to Europe than it was when I lived in Oregon! The flight to London is only about an hour and a half longer than it is to get to Oregon, and I think that’s just because we’re flying at a diagonal instead of a straight shot over the country.
I know a few of you have across the pond, so I would love some suggestions about things to do while we’re there. Also, if you have any recommendations for cheap, cheap places to stay, that would be swell too.
I am so excited!! Yay England!!
