London 2014: General Info

Okay, since I didn't have the oportunity to blog about this trip in advance at all, I would like to tell you a little bit about this trip before I get into the day-to-day entries.

This trip to London was actually a gift from my families to me, as I earlier this year managed to get my Master's Degree, so I was given the trip, including airport transfers, hotel and various activies while in London (three musicals and a 2 Day London Pass, and a bit more!).

I was going with my Dad and his family, which was new for me - they travel a lot, but I have only ever travelled by myself or with a friend, or when I was young, with my Mum and Dad, but I've never travelled with an entire family (2 Adults, 2 Children ... and moi!). We did decide on London because I've been there several times before, and I love it, and also because that would mean we could both do things together, but also apart!! Had we visited someplace  I had never been before, it wouldn't be so fun for me to go off on my own - but on the other hand, I'm used to being on my own, so we realized it would be a bit hard for me to be with them 24/7 on an entire trip.

My Dad and his family had started checking out London early on, bascially almost before I had finished my thesis and gotten my degree, and at that point I could not for the life of me focus on such a trip ... the entire spring went and when summer was closing in I realized I had to start checking out London for real. No sooner said than done, within a couple of days I think we had the trip booked! :)
We decided on flying from the Norweigan airport Rygge, as it was not too far to travel and the flight times to London were a lot better, and we also found a nice hotel in Paddington, on Sussex Gardens, not far from the hotel I stayed in, in 2012.

For me it was quite a big change to actually travel with "all these people" ...*lol* Well, I know there are only four of them, but for me they sometimes feel like an entire crowd, as I'm used to being on my own. I liked the fact that we'd booked different rooms in the same hotel, allowing for some privacy but at the same time making it possible to spend time together. I also like the fact that we tried to plan a few activities together, but also plan some things apart!

Like the last time, I debated on what to do with my cellphone. In the end I brought it (duh!), but decided to try to find free wifi at public places and only use the internet there - as it is hideously expensive eitherwise. Well, it turned out that was not so easy ... The hotel charged a daily fee for wifi, that I didn't want to pay, and as soon as I found spots with "free wifi" (such as Stansted Express, McDonald's etc.) you had to go through a lengthy registration process, and I did not want to do that with a cellphone that is not registered in England ... I ended up photographing a bit with my cellphone, but I never connected to the internet at all ... 

I still have a few difficulties with somethings, I know I don't want to be too personal in this public blog (as I mentioned during the 2012-trip too), but I struggle with anxiety sometimes, and it did pop up a bit during this trip as well. But since that is who I am, I know I will have to accept, and try to do the best I can anyway! :) 

This was, all in all, a trip that started out a bit shaky but ended up being the best London trip I've ever been on! :) I'm just hoping to go back - SOON!!!

Smartphone or Not?

Another decision I'm facing for my London trip is whether to bring my smartphone or not - well, I'll probably bring it, I'm just not sure if I'm going to use it! :)
I do have an old 'back-up-cellphone' which I will be using for the trip, but I just love my smartphone's camera and the photo apps I'm using and being able to update Facebook and Instagram ... Unfortunately it's so hideously expensive to connect to the internet on my cellphone now, and I'm not sure that it's going to be worth it.

I've been thinking along the lines of bringing the phone to take regular photos - no need to connect to the internet doing that, meaning that should not be so expensive ... and then I'll simply upload the photos when I get back home, and let Instagram and the other photo apps work their magic then. The only thing lost on that is I won't be able to upload the photos when I actually take them, and I won't be able to "check in" on Facebook or add the photos to my photo map in Instagram ... but I guess that's not the end of the world, right?! :-)
I think I'm going to do that - and at least that should keep me occupied when I travel from Mamlö Airport on Saturday September 29th, right?! :-) Being able to relive all the great moments from the trips by uploading photos isn't so bad! *lol*