London Called. I Answered.

Cheers!

I am now in London!  After a brief delay, my flight arrived into London at about 4:00 PM. I took the Heathrow Express which had me in to downtown London by 5:00 PM. After getting a bit lost in the somewhat unaccessible underground, I finally made it to my hostel, YHA Central, at 5:45 PM. The hostel is amazing. I am sharing a four bed room with an en suite bathroom and walk-in shower. It is also five minutes from the corner of Oxford Street and Regent Street (the equivalent of New York’s 5th Avenue)!

At 6:00 PM, I met up with David, my Dad’s cousin that I met last year in my travels to London, and his wife, Joan. We went to a pub and then to an Italian restaurant. It was a pleasure to see them both again and we enjoyed each other’s company.

Joan & I

David & I

After they headed home, I went for a quick walk around the neighborhood to get myself acclimated to the area. It is even more beautiful than I remember!

After a quick phone call to my Mom & Dad, I headed back to my room.  Tomorrow, I need to get my cell phone, find a pharmacy, and an ATM. Then, I’m off to explore London.

I must admit that I have missed staying in hostels – meeting people around the world with the same interests, the comradery, and the independence. I laid down in my bed with a smile on my face.

Note: This post was originally published on May 14, 2012 in a blog entitled “Romeing Around Europe…Again” which chronicled my post-graduation trip across Europe.