Rome2rio Russel Square to Piccadilly Circus

Rome2rio Russel Square to Piccadilly Circus

If you, or someone you know, are planning on traveling in a major city like London, I have a word of advice. Well, maybe, three. Rome2Rio. This little beauty made my first solo trip easy. Rome2rio is an app that shows you how to get from one location to the next, which is the quickest route, and how much each route costs. For example, Rome2rio told me exactly which tube station to go to, which train to take, and when to switch lines. Traveling alone isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. My flight got into London at 6 a.m. and I immediately took to the city seeing everything there was to see (except London Tower because of a recent terror attack) by 11 p.m. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done. Take it back about five years, there is nothing I’d rather do than go to London! I was Doctor Who crazed, read only British novels, and you can bet BBC America was always on. I was convinced that I was going to marry into the royal family. Fast forward five years and yes! I was still stoked to see London, but not so much. What is it about growing older that makes the joys of years past seem so distant?

 London. London, you beauty you. London is the New York City of Europe. Basically. I was constantly having to remind myself, “Stop! Kate! You’re not in NYC. This is London!” So, London was a great place to start my journey. It maintained the familiarity of homeland, America’s New York City, while submerging me into a new culture… country… continent?! Crazy. They also speak English, which is a plus. However, it was not great if you walk around for 17 hours, without food, on a hot June day, after getting zero hours of sleep on a red eye flight, while losing five hours of your day. Hello, jetlag! I hit my wall at approximately 1:37 p.m. at Buckingham Palace after walking in circles for two hours with bloody feet. Fun fact, it is not wise to wear new shoes when you know you will be walking all day long, even if they are orthopedics. Samuel (not L) Jackson once said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. I was tired of London. I was in over my head. I was crying. My feet were bloody. I was hungry. I was alone. I was lost. I was tired of London. So… I called my mom. God bless my mom. Honestly. She’s amazing. And, like any other good German homemaker, she right away told me, “Eat!” Now eating for me is a big issue. No. That’s not why. I am, what you would call, an “Allergy Kid”. Yep. I’m that kid in elementary school that was the reason PB&J was banned from latchkey. I am allergic to many different foods, so eating is hard. I looked around to try to find something, but I was so dizzy that I couldn’t focus. Not that there’d be any food in Buckingham palace. At least, none for me. So, I (finally) found my way to the tube aaaand… I went sight-seeing again. [If there is a bane to my existence, it is my ambition. It gets the better of me and my body suffers for it.]  Somehow, I found myself at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where (drum roll please) I saw people sitting in the courtyard eating! I found a pub and ate a little bit. Something you should know: my favorite bible verse, and confirmation verse, is Isaiah 58:11, “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Do I really need to say anything further or can we all just cry over our God, the provider of all that is good? I am so blessed. After my little epiphany, I went back to my hotel for a quick nap before getting back out there for a bit more sightseeing before bed. Tomorrow would lead to a whole new adventure.

P.S. London wasn’t rainy for me. Constantly blessed.

P.P.S. The White Cliffs of Dover were stunning. 10/10 would recommend.

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