Passing Afternoon

I’ve never woken up so much in my life as I have during my sleeps here.  I finally got to a restful sleep right before my alarm went of this morning.  I turned it off and slept until 2pm… OOPS!  Determined to not let my day go to waste I hopped onto the underground to Picadilly Circus, something I hadn’t seen yet.   Looks like a smaller version of Times Square.  Like the two days before, I started walking in any which direction to see where it would lead me.  I ended up at the edge of the park where I got my first glimpse of Big Ben.  It looked even more beautiful lit up.  I started on the same route as day 1 and found myself back in Trafalgar Square.  Instead of turning to the right towards Big Ben, I turned to the left and found myself in Leicester Square.  The only words that I can think to describe Leicester Square is a carnival and Vegas… Possibly an outdoors Circus Circus? 

After walking to see Big Ben in all of its light and glory I hopped onto the tube via Westminster Station to Kentish Town.  I was determined to find The Flowerpot.  I looked it up on google maps the previous night to see approximately how far I’d have to walk.  I had turned around right before I got to it the day before.  I walked much farther this time although I had a feeling I’d gone too far.  I asked someone waiting at a bus stop if they had a clue where it was, and sure enough I had passed it.  I was getting discouraged after retracing my steps.  I didn’t understand how I could have passed it when my eyes had been peeled and on the look out.  Right when I decided I was going to give up, I looked to the left and TADA!  Guess it was meant that I go there I suppose. 

As soon as I walked in I loved it.  It was a bit more vacant than I expected it to be, but it was still awesome.  There were a few guys sitting at that bar, so I asked if I could join them.  They were about to start a game of Scrabble.  From what I gathered of their names, they were Tom, Robby, and Harry.  A bit later a girl named Sally joined them.  As most people that know me know, I’m a bit critical when it comes to girls.  I took an instant liking to Sally though.  See seemed like someone I’d get along with right away.  They decided to head to another pub around the corner in Camden.  Not ready to go back to my hotel, and happy that I may have made some new friends, I joined them.  The Locke was extremely packed so we sat on the rainy, umbrella-covered patio.  It wasn’t long before Tom suggested heading to a less busy pub.  Next up, The Hawley Arms.  Amy Winehouse was bartending… Definitely don’t think I’d see that in California.  Hah.  After talking with Harry for a bit I realized that the group of people I had spent my evening with were the exact type of people I’d be close with at home.  They all seemed to be big music lovers as well.  Going around in Camden made me realize how head over heels I am for London.  It has everything I love about LA without the snobby attitudes.  I never thought I’d ever love a city more than I do LA or Hollywood… until now. 

We eventually headed back to The Flowerpot and after a bit I had to rush to the tube before it shut down for the night.  Taxis are quite expensive and I’d rather save the cost of one for Saturday night.  I love the fact that I could say “See you tomorrow” to everyone.  Everyone will be attending The Flowerpot NYE Show that I purchased a ticket for a bit ago.  A couple of the guys work and live above The Flowerpot, and everyone else I met were close knit friends and regulars of the pub.  Instead of goodbye hugs, I got a kiss on the cheek from everyone.  Catches me off guard every time.. and I love it!  

I have to kick myself for taking so much critical advice from people.  Rumors I won’t be following for the remainder of my trip.

1.     Don’t take the tube at night by yourself.

-       It was no different than taking it during the day.  There were plenty of people around.

2.     Don’t go to Camden at night, it can be rough.

-       I felt safer in Camden than I do in Hollywood. 

Jon and Sarah get here tomorrow.  I hope to get to spend enough time with them before I head over to HMV Forum for The Flowerpot New Years Party.  I don’t see why I wouldn’t though.  Maybe they’ll even come with me.  Going to bed at 6am really isn't working for me.  I'm tired.

Until next time!

Take Me Anywhere

I woke up a bit later than I’d like today.  I had plans to meet with Phil, my new friend from the plane, around 10:40.  Didn’t make it to our meeting spot until almost 11.  Ended up to be a very short visit, but a very pleasant one at that.  Seeing someone relatively familiar in a city this big was nice.  After we parted I took the tube up to Camden, regardless of the rain.  Walked around Camden Market for a bit.  Reminds me of a Melrose/Venice Beach hybrid.  I found a vegan restaurant/coffee shop to find shelter from the rain for a bit.  A man I assume was the owner instantly greeted me with an oversized smile and a shot glass sample of hot chocolate.  Best hot chocolate I’ve ever had… I ordered myself a full mug of it.  I sat there for at least an hour, maybe even two.  The same man returned with a sample of some of the vegan soup of the day.  Absolutely delicious!  Too bad my appetite has been non-existent since I’ve been here.  I’ll be sure to go back to that place once and if it returns.

A little over a month or two ago I met someone from England who referred me to a pub called The Flowerpot.  Not far from Camden, I decided to head up the tube one stop to see if I could find it before it got dark.  I walked for what seemed like forever before I turned around.  No luck.  I didn’t feel like going back to my hotel as early as it was, so I took a detour and got off at Oxford Circus to walk along Oxford Street.  Circus doesn’t even describe it.  MADNESS!!!  Complete madness.  It was so packed I felt as if I was weaving in and out of a crowd at a sold out concert.  Oxford Street consists of a lot of retail stores, mainly what you would see in a mall spread out onto the street.  First thing I spotted was an Urban Outfitters.   Come to find out it’s a 4-story UO.  Very nice!  Unfortunately it was as packed as the street was, and the line for the dressing room was far too long for my interest.  I walked up the street as far as my tired feet and sore legs would allow.  I settled for Tiki Café once again.  I wish there were more independent coffee shops around Ventura County, or LA for that matter.  They have a much better atmosphere than Starbucks or Coffee Bean.

The Story So Far...

Have to love song titles and lyrics for titles to blogs.

The past couple days still seem like a dream to me.. regardless if I haven't been sleeping much.  Day dreaming maybe?

My first impressions were so haywire.  My flight was delayed almost two hours and I had an entire cheerleading team of at least 50 on my flight.  Not trying to be stereotypical, but they were practicing their routine in the terminal.  That's where my patience began to run thin.

As soon as I sat on the plane a huge sigh of relief came.  Lucky me, didn't get have to sit by a creepy old guy.  It was a 15 year old freshman in high school named Diego (I found this out through talking to him of course.)  Across the isle was another friendly face.  Later learned his name was Philip (Phil for short.)  He is originally from England, and was returning home to visit his family.  Dun dun dun, first british accent to swoon over.  Hah.  Diego had a really bad migraine, so we came up with a plan to ask Phil to switch seats with him since he had no neighbor and Diego could lay down.  Phil shot back with the idea of me sitting in the empty middle seat next to him instead so Diego could lay in the corner and sleep.  Don't ask how I was convinced to give up my beloved window seat for a middle seat... but I did.  There was no compromising for the isle seat with him... wanker!  Anywho, flight went very smoothly.  I was really anxious and enjoyed listening to Phil talk far too much to sleep, regardless if he wanted to or not... haha... I think I slept only an hour on the 10 1/2 hour flight.  Watched 500 Days of Summer... yada yada.. less about the flight, more about the city!

*You can click on any of the photos to see a bigger size*

Getting through customs was a drag.. so many redundant questions.  Finding my way around the airport and to the tube was a bit tricky. I opted for taking the underground rather than the Heathrow Express because it was far cheaper.  People were really willing to help which made it nice and simple.  Bought and Oyster Pass so I have free roam in zones 1 and 2.  Don't really need to go further than those anyways.  I can't believe how simple it is to get around here.  I'd move here for the public transportation alone!  Its amazing, and so fast to get around.  By the time I got to my hotel it was 9pm.. I was exhausted from staying up for over 24 hours so I stayed in.  I'm really happy with my hotel accommodations.  I was really worried I would be far from things  I wanted to do or see, but I'm not.  Yay!



As exhausted as I was I still slept horrible the first night.  I woke up a bunch and couldn't fall asleep for long periods of time.  I feel like I was laying in bed watching the clock.   I finally got out of my hotel around 10:30/11:00am, just enough time to make it to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of Guards.  Woohoo!  I got off the underground and walked through Green Park... my first day time sights in London.. absolutely gorgeous.  Lucky me, it was really sunny.  Didn't know sunglasses would have came in handy here.  Buckingham Palace was stunning,  even just the gates around it.  So much detail put into everything.  Changing of the Guards was an awesome experience.  I think I may try to go back tomorrow to see it again now knowing where the best place to stand would be.  The only thing I could see with clear view was the march into the palace gates.

After gawking over Buckingham Palace I took a stroll down the long road directly in front of it.  St James park was on the right where I had a clear view for Big Ben... gorgeous.  Probably my favorite tourist attraction.  I love clocks.  I stopped by Trafalgar square before I went on the Big Ben hunt.  The Christmas tree was still up.  I'm going to try to go back at night so I can snap photos with all of the lights on.

After Trafalgar Square I started walking down what seemed to be the way to Big Ben.   I turned a corner, and had my breath literally taken away.  Big Ben.  I was expecting it to be to my right, and to my surprise it was on my left.  Hence why it caught me off guard so much.  Not until I sat on a bench to bask in the glory of the clock bells did I realize how cold it was.  I felt like my nose was going to fall off.  I saw on a bench right in between Big Ben and Westminster Cathedral.  Couldn’t think of a more gorgeous place to sit or be.  After nearly freezing to death I figured it would be in my best interest to start walking again to warm myself up.  I found two guys who seemed to know where they were going so I asked if I could tag along.  The outcome was nowhere near as good as the outcome I had with Phil.  After all, Phil would be in London on Tuesday (today) and had a possibility of meeting up with me.  Their names were Sam and James.  Sam flew in from Australia, and James lived around the corner in London.  They lead me to the Tate Modern Museum and left after awhile of walking around with me.  After venturing around the art museum I headed across the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Stunned once again.  The architecture here is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  After sitting on a bench in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral for a bit I decided it was time to head back to my hotel.  I think my feet and nose took in as much cold as possible for one day.  I found a cute coffee shop called Tiki Café across the street from my hotel that has free wifi.  Enjoyed some chai tea and caught up on emails and such.  Went to sleep fairly early… boring, boring, I know.

The Beginning

I don't remember the last time I've actually kept up with a journal, or a blog for that matter.  I create a consistent habit of writing entries, and eventually let them fade away into the depths of the internet.  I must admit, I thoroughly enjoy reading things that I've written years ago that have long slipped my mind.  Those old stories, quotes, pictures, and everything else I thought to be inspiring at the time bring me back to the exact moment I wrote about them.  For that exact reason, I'm adding yet one more online outlet to my life.  Here it goes...

Christmas has been very quiet this year.  With only 10 minutes left, my day has been spent with both of my grandparents and my dog.  I have absolutely no complaints.  In fact, this may have been my best Christmas yet.  Most of the gifts I received were travel related.  My grandparents also helped me out enormously with helping fund for my trip.  I don't think I'd be able to make the entire thing happen if it weren't for their generosity and support.  I'm extremely lucky to have a family like mine.

Speaking of gifts, one of my absolute favorite things I've ever received came from a friend at work.  He has a little series known as Evil Ice Cream (www.evilicecream.com) that I fell in love with as soon as I discovered it.  I've purchased all of the little figures he and his wife have released, and have been impatiently anticipating the missing piece known as Mean Bean, and angry little scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Darth surprised me on Tuesday with my personal little Mean Bean.  They've yet to put these in production, but I suggest investing in the little guy when they do.  He's adorable.

Seeing that I'm barely packed, have a migraine, and have a million other things to do tomorrow before I hit the airport I'm going to call this the end of my first entry.  If you're interested in reading about my travels within the next few weeks, or adventures to follow after I'm going to make a strong attempt to keep this current.  Sayonara!

Currently playing:  Sigur Ros - ( )