This coming July will mark 5 years since I’ve been to London. Even though half a decade has somehow passed by, I still think about my time there almost everyday. I went to London for a study abroad experience towards the end of college, a time when I was feeling not-so-hot to say the least. Maybe I was uncertain and fearful about the future as my long chapter of education was coming to an end. I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that London gave me life. Everyday I could feel my self confidence and happiness growing as I wandered around this wonderful city full of many faces (it’s also the closest I’ve ever gotten to traveling solo). I love London for so many different reasons and thought I’d share some of my memories here. Should I bring back my cropped blonde hair? haha.
London is prim & proper yet grungy.
Strolling around the city you will find the classic red telephone booths everywhere. I love how this photo showcases the neat streets of Westminster with all the lovely flower boxes.
The photo below was taken in Primrose Hill, an absolutely adorable area with cute cafes and bookshops.
Notting Hill is a bit of both–prim/proper yet grungy too. These rows of pastel houses are everywhere and compliment the immaculate flower stands at the Portobello Road Market where you can shop for antiques.
When you find yourself in Camden Town, you’ll soon realize you’ve stepped into a very different area full of punk fashion, street food, weird shops, and live music. You can be someone else entirely than the person you were wandering around Westminster 😉
Channeling my inner grunge on the streets near Abbey Road.
London is old yet new.
One thing that really shocked me was how old London is, and being there made me realize for the first time how young the United States is. When I found myself at the Tower of London and learned that it’s almost 1000 years old I couldn’t really comprehend it. The things that have gone down in those walls over the centuries… It’s incredible that it’s still here today for us to visit.
London is definitely full of old historical buildings, but it’s not a city living in the past. The London Eye was built in 1998, and it was so fun to be in something very new looking down at buildings that are very old.
The photo below showcases the new and the old as you will see Millennium Bridge (opened year 2000) leading to St. Paul’s Cathedral (constructed in 1675 and one of the only buildings in the city to survive the bombings of World War 2).
A couple things I don’t have photos of but want to mention:
Old– Visiting Gordon’s Wine Bar is something I highly recommend. It’s said to be London’s oldest wine bar, and it was such a unique spot to spend a few hours.
New–The Sky Garden was not even built yet when I was in London in 2014, so it’s on my bucket list for my next visit. It’s the city’s highest public garden with incredible views.
London is multicultural yet very British.
I definitely tried to embrace the British ways when I was living there. I pretty much lived on tea and crumpets and gained the weight to prove it haha.
Experiencing British royalty first hand was very cool. The history of royal families is fascinating, and being able to visit the same palaces and gardens that have been lived in for centuries was amazing.
Thank you Britain for J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. My life will never be the same 🙂
London is also very multicultural. It’s home to some of the best museums and food markets in the world.
I dream about getting back to London constantly and can’t wait to make it a reality. If you’d like to read more about some of the experiences I had in England you can find my other posts below 🙂 I love you London!
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