Go See London, Go See France: Don’t Hold Up Your European Trip Another Moment!

I had always wanted to go to London. Something was calling me there, and I couldn’t ignore it. I did everything I could to get myself there, and it ultimately paid off. I spent the effort adding extra US passport pages, exchanging dollars for pounds, and researching power converters, and although it took a lot of planning, the memories and experiences I walked away with made it more than worth it.

A lot of people get discouraged from traveling because of the preparation involved. My mom is one of those people. She cringes at the thought of having to spend days packing for a trip; she would rather just not deal with it. Don’t let the planning that comes with traveling keep you from experiencing something life-changing. You would never get to know all the great things you were missing out on.

If you love art, London is the place for you. Walking through London is like walking through a real life museum. The monuments, the huge buildings, and the atmosphere create such an immersing environment. Even the street art is beautiful. I spent a whole day walking around the Victoria and Albert Museum, or just the V and A Museum. Huge rooms packed with artifacts from every civilization were everywhere, and that was only one wing of the museum. Standing beside a huge, ancient artifact left me feeling so small and insignificant in the scheme of things, and it was such a cool learning experience. Huge halls filled with everything from fashion exhibits to fine art wove through the Museum, and I left feeling like I had walked though ten different museums.

My stop the next day was the Tate Modern Museum. I was little hesitant about a modern art museum, because I generally wasn’t very impressed with modern art. However, upon entering the monstrous building, I was instantly impressed. Getting to not only look at but interact with the art pieces made the Tate a very different kind of museum experience. Some of the pieces held very strong messages, and I left the museum feeling inspired.

The best part of my trip was getting to go to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. William Shakespeare and all his works are the object of my undying love, and getting the opportunity to see plays at their birthplace was unbelievable. I chose to see the play as a “groundling,” and although my feet hurt a little by the end, getting to stand at the edge of the stage was amazing. I felt like I was in the play, and I’ll admit, I got so wrapped up that I cried at the end of Othello.

If there is somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, whether it’s London, Paris, or Tokyo, just go. Something is calling you there, and probably for good reason. So get yourself a new US passport or add new passport pages, pack your bags, and be ready for the trip of a lifetime.