As the first semester of my third year wound down, my school life and personal life grew chaotic. My maternal grandfather's health plummeted suddenly and quickly and I struggled with balancing going home on weekends to see him, and working furiously throughout the week with the knowledge that I might lose someone very dear to me at any moment. In fact, when I learned about my grandfather's death I was in the school library getting ready to start reading homework. Although I went home the next day, those initial moments of mourning were spent very alone, and as I finished the last 3 weeks of the semester I felt alone. Further from feeling alone, I felt isolated from the people who understood what I was going through. Two weeks after the end of the first semester I was even more isolated from my family, in an unfamiliar country, and living with unfamiliar people.
I studied at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), and chose this program specifically because it allowed me to live on campus. I stayed with a mix of study abroad students, like myself, and full-time first-year students.
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| Queen's Building, QMUL. 2015 |
It took me about a month for me to feel comfortable my new school and surroundings. At first, I was reluctant to go out with my new flatmates, or even chat with them in the kitchen the eleven of us shared. I only spoke to the other students from my alma mater, which were few, and went outside campus only because my "London and Its Museums" module required me to go to a different museum each week. When February arrived, I had already fallen into a stale routine and I was determined to try something different. The only thing I had been looking forward to when planning my trip to London was dancing again, but I could not convince anyone I knew to go with me. I decided to venture out on my own, something I had not really done before, and went to a blues dance event by myself.
The very first place I went to was The White Swan for an event called Down Home Blues. Since I had not been dancing regularly in the previous year and I was going to be meeting new dancers, I decided that going to the lesson would be wise. I left my flat with enough time to be twenty minutes early for the lesson. However, I forgot to account for the 2 hours I would spend getting completely lost. When I eventually found the venue, the lesson was over and the dancing had begun. Although, I got off to a rocky start, dance-wise, I ended up having a fantastic time! I continued going to go to social-dance events alone and it allowed me to approach other people and be more approachable. Doing more things alone and being comfortable with being alone actually opened me up to new friendships, not just in the dance community but with the flatmates I had avoided for the first couple of weeks.
London, Two Years Later
Recently, I returned to London! I spent the first two weeks of April revisiting the city where I restored my well-being and made the dear friends I missed so much. The great thing about having such wonderful friends was knowing I would not have to worry about hotel or hostel expenses, and that I could spend even more time with my friends! Like my first trip to London, I stayed near Mile End, by the QMUL campus, alternating between my friends Eva's flat and Emlyn & Tom's flat during my stay.
Despite only being in London for five months the first time, I had a very set routine. I was determined not to pick up from where I left off. For this trip, I really wanted to experience a completely different side of London that I had not the first time I was there.
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| Can't get more 'London Tourist' than this |
I planned two day trips that would show me the beautiful forests and parks that London has to offer. My first trip took me to Epping Forest. I was surprised at how short the tube ride was from Mile End! Despite sharing the carriage with what looked like fellow hikers, my walk through Epping was very solitary, calm, and quiet. I went thirty minutes without seeing another soul!
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| Epping Forest, London. 2015 |
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| Epping Forest, London. 2015 |
My second day trip was to Richmond Park, and I was determined not to leave without seeing the deer. This day trip was the longest because in order to get to Richmond Park, Eva and I had to walk through a large commercial area. I could not walk more than 30 ft without saying something like, "Ooh there's an Anthropologie here? Let's go in!" Let's not even go into how much time we spent in Whole Foods...
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| Richmond, London. 2015 |
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| My new friends. Richmond Park, London. 2015 |
Enjoy
I wish I had photographed every place I went out to eat, but sometimes enjoying the moment of being there surpasses the need to document. This time around, I was really looking forward to expand my dining experience beyond Chinatown and Wetherpoons Pubs.
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| Eva at Verde & Company. London, 2015 |
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| "Is she taking a picture of us...?" Sharps, London. 2015 |
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| DOCASA Leather Lane Location, 2014 |
DOCASA would have been my favorite, but it was closely tied with Sharps near Tottenham Court Road. Apart from being a great place for a cuppa, this coffee shop is actually inside a barber shop. It was like someone took two things I love--coffee and beards--and decided to create a personal heaven for me. I picked up some Sandows London cold brew here too! Dark Sugars, a chocolate shop on Brick Lane, was an unexpected surprise, coffee-wise. My macchiato was not only delicious, but creamy. Plus, the wafting smell of chocolate in the air makes it impossible not to enjoy every sip. Just across the street Eva and I had a second cup of coffee at Full Stop. I ordered a cappuccino here, and it was hands-down the best cappuccino on my trip. The barista, who also happened to be out waiter, was incredibly skilled and took time and care to craft our drinks. It was an unexpected surprise because we had only gone there for a bite to eat. I visited Lowry & Baker, located near the Notting Hill neighborhood, on one of the nicer, sunny days. Eva and I had a seat outside with our cappuccinos, and fresh baked pastries. We even stayed for seconds!
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| Outside Lowry & Baker London, 2015 |
I did good avoiding Pret this time around. While their BLTs are strangely satisfying, I can't say missed them too much. The first place Eva and I went out to eat to was the Breakfast Club in Spitafields. There was a huge queue to get in, but the 80s soundtrack, and quirky decor kept us entertained. I ordered their Huevos Rancheros, because anything with chorizo is an automatic win for me. However, I should have realized that they meant Spanish chorizo, which is the texture of salami. It was still good! I also ordered a virgin Mary, which was reasonably spicy and satisfied my craving for salty tomato juice! Before we left we asked if we could peek behind the door of a large vintage fridge near the entrance. This fridge is actually the entrance to an underground bar!
Although I loved the Breakfast Club, it was nothing compared to the experience at Sketch. Eva and I went for their cream tea, which to be honest was the most affordable thing on their menu. At £10 per person, Sketch's cream tea is a really good deal! After we got seated in The Glade, our server presented their impressive tea menu and set up our table. I am not a tea person at all, so I chose a vanilla tea at random. Tea usually tastes fairly bland to me, but this tea was anything but. The scones served with tea were also delicious! I did not think I would fill up with only two, but I couldn't even finish my second one! I enjoyed the entire experience, from the delicious tea and scones to the lovely room we were seated in, to the quirky toilets (egg pods!), to the incredibly friendly staff. Sketch is place I would not mind going to over and over again!
Not every experience was absolutely golden though. One of the places on my must-go list was a 1940's inspired bar, Cahoots. Eva and I made made our way to Soho around 8 PM and found the hidden entrance to the bar. We were told at the door that there was no room, but that we should come back later. Taking their suggestion, Eva and I ate at a nearby Peruvian restaurant and came back an hour later. Again we were told there was no room, even though they let in two girls after us who did not have reservations either. Afterwards we were shooed away and told there would be room later. Feeling discouraged, but having been told there would be room later I decided to wait it out. Once it was 10 PM, after two hours of trying to get into this bar, I tried once more with no avail. It was disappointing, not because I did not get to go inside the bar, but because the doormen kept telling me to come back instead of telling me to make reservations and come back another night. After wasting two hours I was in the mood to go home, but I did not want to let a couple of doormen ruin my night! Thankfully, Soho is in no short supply of great bars. Less than 10 minutes later Eva and I find ourselves at The Cocktail Trading Co. Although small, this underground bar has the most welcoming atmosphere. We were quickly ushered in by the staff and the bartenders had drinks ready for us in under ten minutes. We had to wait for a table, but as soon as one freed up, we were seated. Hands down, best and most elaborate cocktails I have ever had. And their classic cocktails impressed as well! The most interesting cocktail I had was at Andina in Shoreditch. It was a mushroom based cocktail that had the after taste of a truffle. It was light and tasted a lot more expensive than it was. Of course, I ended my trip at a Wetherspoons! No shame in indulging in cheap beer and chips!
I have a part two coming up about my trip to London! I think I have covered most of my trip, but there are highlights from my trip that I want to share. Keep a look out!
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