London, I Love You

Almost every year, most people tend to look forward to summertime. Well, that’s because school’s out, families take vacations, and more time is spent on the beach. However, due to the current covid-19 crisis, this summer will be different that’s for sure.

For this summer, you probably hadn’t jotted down “social distancing” on your itinerary. However, just because you’re practicing social distancing and staying at home, it doesn’t mean you have to remain socially isolated. Ironically, this pandemic has actually brought us closer than ever before. And, this is definitely something to be grateful for.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I love traveling and it was one of the things I was looking forward to most this summer. Yet, since this situation is out of my control, there is nothing I can do about it, except be patient. In addition to being patient, I’ve been getting creative at home with my writing, using technology to my advantage, and spending more quality time with my family. With technology I can communicate with friends, do home workouts along to YouTube, and launch into a personal social media “purge,” (which means un-following unnecessary sites). Most importantly, I also learned to be kind to myself. In fact, along with practicing gratitude, this has been one of my best self-care routines. In this time, one of my favorite pastimes, during lockdown, is to reminisce over some beautiful moments from my past — and, one of those is the best solo trip I ever took to London last summer.

London Calling

In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which is where I currently live, I was going through a bit of a rough patch. The good news, though, was I had just turned twenty-five and been accepted into a Master’s Program (Media) at Dubai’s American University. To counter that was the bad news — I had just been laid off from a new position only two months into my six-month probation period. Although it tainted my birthday, I had my new studies and other opportunities to look forward to.

At that time, Eid-Al-Adha, an Islamic holiday, was right around the corner. After these few grueling months, I felt I really deserved a much-needed break — meaning I really needed to take a holiday away from the United Arab Emirates. Not only did I need to clear my head from being laid off, but I also needed to escape the weather for a bit. For those not familiar with the region, Dubai gets unbearably hot in summer. When I mean “hot,” I mean a sweltering and humid weather — basically suffocating.

One day, my mom sent me a text message that brightened things up considerably. Filling me in later, she announced that my sister and her fiancé were going to London to check out wedding venues. My trip could coincide with theirs. I began to think it through and realized I had not been in London for such a long time. Since I have family in London, I visited it often as a child, but never spent time there on my own. After considerable thought, I proceeded to ask myself, “What are the things I’ve wanted to do in London, alone, that I’d never had the chance to before?” This was going to be a week-long trip, so I wanted to make the most out of it.

Thank You, London

When I arrived in London, I immediately felt a breath of crisp, fresh air. I was finally away from the heat for a while, away from rejection, and I was going to take time to enjoy myself abroad — something I hadn’t done in nearly three years.

I stayed at the Holmes Hotel, a boutique hotel on Baker Street, which was very close to where my sister was staying. It was amazing — a Chipotle was right across from my hotel, Boots pharmacy was right downstairs, and I was less than a minute away from a boutique theatre. The hotel staff was so friendly and welcoming, my room was the perfect size, the bathroom was beautiful, and I had such a comfortable bed that helped me sleep soundly every night.

I had already written a list of the activities I was planning to do in the city. On a Sunday morning, all I had planned was to stroll around the city, grab some goodies from Selfridges, take a trip down memory lane at Harrods, and take pictures of Hyde Park. I managed all this in one day and it was a tremendous amount of walking — which, by the way, I really loved. In fact, that was one of my favorite activities in London — all the walking I had to do. I also got a chance to see my sister, meeting her at a small café close by. It was lovely spending quality time with her, because that is something I’d rarely done. At that moment, I felt fortunate to have such an amazing sister and I will always feel that way.

In the next six days, a few of my plans changed unexpectedly — nevertheless turning into some of the greatest moments of my life that I’ll cherish forever. I went to the zoo by myself, and it reminded me of all the happy times I spent coming to it as a kid. It brought me so much joy seeing those beautiful animals again. The scene I enjoyed most at the zoo was seeing the African wild dogs running along so energetically in a group. They just seemed so happy, so carefree, and just so at ease with life. I also loved seeing one of the easy-going llamas; it was just so calm, mellow, and enjoying the tranquil scenery. I love animals so much and whenever I see them, it always makes my day. I even went to the National History Museum, which was a lot of fun. I got to learn a bit more about dinosaurs there. My favorite spots to visit by far had to be Soho, Notting Hill, Portobello Road, Kensington, Warwick Avenue, and Marylebone. I also managed to do some sightseeing around Regent Street, Leicester Square, Oxford Street, and Covent Garden, which I also enjoyed.

It so happened that a few high school friends happened to be in London at the same time and we spent amazing times together. In fact, I couldn’t thank them enough for helping me make the most of the trip.

I was invited to dinner with my sister and her fiance at a Japanese restaurant, Dinings. Meeting him for the first time was great, because I really ended up liking him — and the food was amazing. On another occasion, my sister and I also met up with our cousins over dinner — and it was fun catching up, over another unforgettable meal.

By far, my favorite dish, at Dinings, had to be the miso aubergine with black cod. Any dish with eggplant happens to be a favorite of mine; eggplant always reminds me of my late grandma’s cooking. Not only was it nutritious, but it was also just so delicious, rich in flavor, and absolutely filling. With our cousins, I remembered we ate some delicious grilled veggies, including eggplant! The juicy, pink salmon was also worth a try, along with the wholemeal bread, sparkling water, and other appetizers

I can’t forget how on a day pouring with rain I got to go see Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood at the theatre right by my hotel. I thought the film was phenomenal and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. But nothing could top my last day of London, in which I dared to get my wrist tattooed. The little details of my tattoo included poppies, green leaves, and light pink roses. I appreciate how much tattoos carry special meanings and for me, my floral wrist tattoo, which resembles a bracelet symbolizes personal growth — and it became a wonderful reminder of the best trip I ever took in my life. It wraps around my wrist beautifully and it will continue to symbolize personal growth in every aspect of my life.