The Cat's Curiosity

STROLLING CAMDEN

📍Camden, London, United Kingdom

In my own words, I’d call this ‘a love letter to London’. Our time was short but it was eye opening. I’ve been fortunate throughout my life to be able to travel quite a bit, multiple times nearly every year within the states sans a few trips to the Carribean. However, never across the pond. At 17, I did this trip with my mother, traveling from London all the way to several spots in Scotland.

I remember getting off the plane and hearing someone say “Did you remember my pillow in the boot?” Instantly, I knew with no doubt, we’d made it to our desired location. After lugging our stuff to our shelter for the night – the Gatwick Airport Courtyard Hotel, we decided to adventure. Having been from the States with no access to our phone, my mother (who lived in the UK for several years) decided we’d making this trip the old way… physical maps and good old fashioned talking to strangers. Within and hour of this attempt I, who has grown up with GPS at her fingertips, broke down and downloaded an E-SIM (which if you weren’t aware is the best way to travel with devices short term). After not only surviving, but thriving on the tube we made it to Camden, the location of this photo.

I recall two distinct feelings. First, grateful. How lucky am I to be able to put my entire life back home in the States on hold to be able to fly half away across the globe for two whole weeks. To embrace a new country, with new people, and new experiences. Second, the ever-loved and ever-dreaded feeling of beginning. The only person I knew in the entire country was my mother beside me. This trip changed something fundamental inside me. Traveling to Europe was not just a distant dream anymore, it was a reality. It was possible. Since then its taken me less than 2 years to find my way to booking a trip back, this time with my dad and I couldn’t be more excited.

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