We arrived at about 5 am, and well the metro doesn't open till 6 am, so there was basically nothing to do. We were just going to stick it out for another hour, when a lovely elderly man who happened to be a taxi driver offered us a ride. We asked how much the cab fare would be to our hostel and he said about 25 Pounds, which is $40! No way could we afford that! We told him we were travelers and had only 10 pounds between us, which he bought! Or maybe just felt sorry for us. Either or, we got a ridiculously good deal and were taken right to the front steps of our hostel. We stayed at St. Christopher's, which was just peachy. We got there at 5:30 am though, and check in wasn't till 2 pm. So, we got them to show us to the chill area and found some nice couches to fall asleep on. I for one, had a very nice deep sleep, limbs spread this way and that. After we were rested and all checked into our VERY LAST HOSTEL ROOM, we went to one of our favorite places in London. Pret! For some reason, we are just obsessed with this restaurant chain. We went the first time we were in London, and of course needed to go again! The cool thing about the store is that it's pretty much a walk in, take your sandwich, pay for it and leave deal. You of course can sit in too. Anyways, it's delicious, nutritious and all natural. And, best part is that all the food is prepared daily so it's super fresh, and then all the food that is doesn't sell in that day and is left over gets donated to homeless shelters!
Something all of you people should know, Europe goes BIG when it comes to Christmas. They blow all of our decorations out of the water! The streets look like Christmas upchucked everywhere, and it could not be more beautiful! In December we looked forward to seeing all the cities light up with cheer. So of course, we went down to the famous Oxford Street (which is just a giant shopping street). It is known for its Christmas decor during the holidays though, so we strolled along enjoying the view and tucked into a few stores (did you know Topshop has cupcakes and frozen yogurt!? That place is everything a girl needs.) We then headed over to London's Winter Wonderland! It's this giant carnival that is Christmas themed! We mostly just walked around, admiring the classic carni-scent. Churro's, popcorn and hot mulled wine filled the air. There was a little Christmas market there that we wandered around as well. Then I started getting reaaaally sleepy (which London does to me for some reason). We started heading back to the metro, and there was a little girl walking in front of us with a big Santa balloon dragging on the ground behind her, then it would bob around and hit a fence or two. Sad thing was, this was the literal scene of me and Bailey. I hung onto her purse strap and literally dragged along behind her, bumping into a few fences as well.
Once we were home, I mustered up energy and started getting ready for THE END OF THE WORLD PARTY! It was also our VERY LAST NIGHT TOGETHER, so I mean, it was kind of nice the world decided to do that. Go out with a bang, right!? We met our roommates, two super cool girls Natalie and Emma. We all put on our favorite jewels, bangles, smeared on some deliciously red lipstick and were ready to celebrate! The night was full of dancing, laughing, singing, new friends and an all around wonderful way to end the world, and our time together in Europe! The next morning was quite the unfortunate series of events though. We hadn't had much sleep to begin with, and didn't think to pack our bags the night before; so guess what we had to do in the morning! Yep, pack! It was the LAST TIME we had to do it though, which also brought on another semi freak out! We were an hour late checking out, and oh boy did we ever look marvelous. (Not!) We had pre-planned our last day in London, and it was to be started with food, of course! We went down to The Maple Leaf, which is where our friend Steph works, but she was on vaca in Spain so we sadly didn't get to see her. It's really strange walking into a place though that you spent so much time in a few months ago. It still has the classic beer smell that lingers around the place. We made ourselves right at home, and dove into a delicious poutine. Then, we kept that food train rollin' and headed next door to a restaurant called Polpo. We noticed it the first time we were in London, well I guess we mostly noticed the super cute guy that took out the garbage every evening. Speaking of super and speaking of cute and guy, well Polpo knows where it's at! You could literally go there and just sit all day admiring the views. The building itself is so quaint and lovely. But we don't think they hire anyone even relatively ugly though. The guys all have great vintage glasses and cheekbones that look like they were chiseled out by the Gods in a past life. The girls that work there are also adorably adorable! But let's talk food. Please take our word for it, and go here if you are ever in London. It is absolutely divine. We were overjoyed that Polpo was the place we chose to have our very last meal together. Me and B each got a serving of meatballs. You got three each, and we got the chickpea, spinach, ricotta ones. We both agreed that they were so good someone could literally feed us them the rest of our lives and we would never get sick of them. We then shared a bread that had a beautiful honey and roasted grape bruschetta spread across it (and yes, it was beautiful), then the most fresh, delicious goat cheese on top, along with the most perfect little pine nuts. Words can't even describe how wonderful that little meal was.
We hadn't been to Camden Market when we were in London back in September, so we metro'd our way over to that side of the city. Camden is such a cool area that we wish we would have spent way more time in. It seems like the area of the city that the coolest people in the world spend their time in. It's full of young people with face piercings and awesome hairstyles, stomping around in their Doc Marten's.
The time sadly started creeping up on us, and it was time to send Bailey off to the airport. We went back to the hostel, grabbed our bags and went to endure what would be possibly the worst metro ride of our lives. We had been walking around all day, so our feet and legs were a bit sore to begin with. Then to top it all off, we had our heavy backpacks on, and went down to the subway during rush hour (yes, even underground has rush hour). It was the most packed we had ever seen it, and it was so crowded and cramped in there it was almost hard to breath. It was about an hour ride to Heathrow, and let's just say we practically bolted right off when we arrived. Bailey checked in and figured everything out for her flight, then we sat on the ground in the airport each handwriting a letter to one another, to be able to read on the planes. What I will say is that I think people that work in airports are probably immune to tears and people bawling their faces off. No one hardly even batted an eyelash at us two, sobbing our eyes out and hugging the crap out of one another. It was so unbelievably sad to part ways after being together every single day for 4 months. That's a long time! And we're very proud of ourselves for lasting so long without wanting to kill each other! All jokes aside though, it did make us even that much closer and we both feel so blessed we were able to share this experience together. So after we realized we looked like the biggest losers just standing there crying, it was time for B to go. I started jumping in joy because of how truly, fantastically excited I was for her! I got to send this chick off to Australia! Does anyone know how exciting that it!?
I then had to get my butt over to Gatwick Airport, which was on the other side of the city, so off I went! I took a shuttle bus that was driven by the most darling old man ever. He dropped us off at the airport about 10 pm. I sauntered my way up to the chill lounge and scoped out the place for a spot to call my bed for the night. Let's just get it out there right now: airport floors are not comfortable, nor are their stupid benches! I tried avoiding sleep for the longest time, so I did a bit of Internet surfing, went and had some porridge and tea at Cafe Nero, read a bit and then tried to waste even more time by unpacking and repacking my entire backpack. I picked my warmest, comfiest clothes to use as a lovely little bed (except it was the farthest thing from lovely). I'm just going to put it out there and let you know it was THE WORST SLEEP EVER. Well no, it could have been a lot worse, at least I was inside. But still, it was pretty brutal. My inflatable neck pillow I was using as a pillow did not stay inflated, ever. My back and my neck hurt so bad. My legs fell asleep because I was hugging my backpack so bad people probably thought I was a koala hanging onto my eucalyptus tree. I only slept probably 2 hours in total, and had a flight the next morning that I really didn't want to be exhausted for. But I gave up on it and went for breakfast at the Cafe. Also, getting changed and ready for the day on bathroom floors in airports is super glamorous, I know, don't gotta tell me. I went and had a croissant and some hot chocolate while staring at the departures and arrivals screen for about an hour. Once a family moved out of the booth they were sitting in, I snatched it up and sprawled myself out. Oh man, did I sleep like a baby! For about three hours! Then it was time to go get myself organized for my flight. There's this weird kind of feeling you get when you look at the time and the departure board and you see YOUR flight. I was scared shitless to put it bluntly. The moment had really snuck up that fast on me, and was now demanding me to get on a plane to take me home. NO! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! As I walked towards my gate, I cooled down a bit and stopped at a window that was to be my last view of Europe other than threw a plane window. It was rainy and looked rather cold out, but the clouds started to part a bit and a beautiful ray of sunshine bursted its way out and beamed down. I knew I was leaving with nothing but love, and was suddenly very alright with going home (but I still promised Europe I would leave a little bit of my heart with it, so you know, it doesn't get too lonely).
On the plane I sat with the hippest, cutest couple on the face of the planet. First off, they were gorgeous and looked like they had just jumped off the pages of a magazine. They both had really great outfits on and to top it all off; were reading the same book, and would discuss each chapter when both were done, then continue to whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. It was so adorable it almost made me puke. I went total antisocial and plugged in my earphones, and watched Mrs.Doubtfire. I've seen this movie a zillion times, but for some reason, watching it this time around it turned into the funniest movie ever. I was laughing so hard people from rows in front of me turned around to check out what was happening. I also cried like a baby during it, which is just straight up weird. I mostly spent my time reading, writing, listening to music, sleeping... the works. I touched down in Calgary, Alberta and was greeted by family members Kelly, Donna and there two cuties. I could not believe first off; I was on Canadian soil! And second; how flipping cold it was! I had a lovely evening with them and was so thankful for a warm bed, shower, delicious food, nice chats and great company. My flight left for home the next morning, so off I was to the airport one last time! I situated myself by the window and all I kept thinking was "I'M COMING HOME BABY!". I love flying and I love when the plane starts gearing up to take off and you start bracing yourself for the second the wheels lift from the ground, I absolutely love the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the way your heart almost lifts along with the aircraft. I listened to all my favorite old school Christmas carols, especially "I'll Be Home for Christmas". (P.S-coming home early was a surprise!) My absolute favorite part of the flight though was when I looked around the plane just as the sun started rising. It casted such a delicate light across all the peoples sleeping faces. I spent a good long while watching the sky turn beautiful hazes of pink and purple. There is just something so pure and amazing about being the same level as the sun, watching it do its thing. I love it. I thought about B and wondered where in the sky she was flying around. It made me miss her so much thinking of how far away from each other we were now, but I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face reflecting on how unbelievably astounding our trip was.
And just like that, the plane touched its wheels to the ground, and there I was... home.
M & B
I then had to get my butt over to Gatwick Airport, which was on the other side of the city, so off I went! I took a shuttle bus that was driven by the most darling old man ever. He dropped us off at the airport about 10 pm. I sauntered my way up to the chill lounge and scoped out the place for a spot to call my bed for the night. Let's just get it out there right now: airport floors are not comfortable, nor are their stupid benches! I tried avoiding sleep for the longest time, so I did a bit of Internet surfing, went and had some porridge and tea at Cafe Nero, read a bit and then tried to waste even more time by unpacking and repacking my entire backpack. I picked my warmest, comfiest clothes to use as a lovely little bed (except it was the farthest thing from lovely). I'm just going to put it out there and let you know it was THE WORST SLEEP EVER. Well no, it could have been a lot worse, at least I was inside. But still, it was pretty brutal. My inflatable neck pillow I was using as a pillow did not stay inflated, ever. My back and my neck hurt so bad. My legs fell asleep because I was hugging my backpack so bad people probably thought I was a koala hanging onto my eucalyptus tree. I only slept probably 2 hours in total, and had a flight the next morning that I really didn't want to be exhausted for. But I gave up on it and went for breakfast at the Cafe. Also, getting changed and ready for the day on bathroom floors in airports is super glamorous, I know, don't gotta tell me. I went and had a croissant and some hot chocolate while staring at the departures and arrivals screen for about an hour. Once a family moved out of the booth they were sitting in, I snatched it up and sprawled myself out. Oh man, did I sleep like a baby! For about three hours! Then it was time to go get myself organized for my flight. There's this weird kind of feeling you get when you look at the time and the departure board and you see YOUR flight. I was scared shitless to put it bluntly. The moment had really snuck up that fast on me, and was now demanding me to get on a plane to take me home. NO! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! As I walked towards my gate, I cooled down a bit and stopped at a window that was to be my last view of Europe other than threw a plane window. It was rainy and looked rather cold out, but the clouds started to part a bit and a beautiful ray of sunshine bursted its way out and beamed down. I knew I was leaving with nothing but love, and was suddenly very alright with going home (but I still promised Europe I would leave a little bit of my heart with it, so you know, it doesn't get too lonely).
On the plane I sat with the hippest, cutest couple on the face of the planet. First off, they were gorgeous and looked like they had just jumped off the pages of a magazine. They both had really great outfits on and to top it all off; were reading the same book, and would discuss each chapter when both were done, then continue to whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. It was so adorable it almost made me puke. I went total antisocial and plugged in my earphones, and watched Mrs.Doubtfire. I've seen this movie a zillion times, but for some reason, watching it this time around it turned into the funniest movie ever. I was laughing so hard people from rows in front of me turned around to check out what was happening. I also cried like a baby during it, which is just straight up weird. I mostly spent my time reading, writing, listening to music, sleeping... the works. I touched down in Calgary, Alberta and was greeted by family members Kelly, Donna and there two cuties. I could not believe first off; I was on Canadian soil! And second; how flipping cold it was! I had a lovely evening with them and was so thankful for a warm bed, shower, delicious food, nice chats and great company. My flight left for home the next morning, so off I was to the airport one last time! I situated myself by the window and all I kept thinking was "I'M COMING HOME BABY!". I love flying and I love when the plane starts gearing up to take off and you start bracing yourself for the second the wheels lift from the ground, I absolutely love the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the way your heart almost lifts along with the aircraft. I listened to all my favorite old school Christmas carols, especially "I'll Be Home for Christmas". (P.S-coming home early was a surprise!) My absolute favorite part of the flight though was when I looked around the plane just as the sun started rising. It casted such a delicate light across all the peoples sleeping faces. I spent a good long while watching the sky turn beautiful hazes of pink and purple. There is just something so pure and amazing about being the same level as the sun, watching it do its thing. I love it. I thought about B and wondered where in the sky she was flying around. It made me miss her so much thinking of how far away from each other we were now, but I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face reflecting on how unbelievably astounding our trip was.
And just like that, the plane touched its wheels to the ground, and there I was... home.
M & B
Hi! Your packing list for 4 months in Europe has saved my life. I'm a stress-packer and I'll be studying abroad in London this Fall, (I know I'm really early but I'm just so excited!) I'm a huge fashionista (like you) and I keep thinking to myself that it'll be a nightmare to pack my suitcase for 4 months when it stresses me out to pack for 4 days, lol. Anyway, your list will help me out a ton! Thanks for posting.
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