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!!!
