Final Chapter: Heading home!

Sep 10, 2024

As our trip is ending, this is the final chapter for our blog, thanks for following along! We hope to see you all soon! (Of course this means one last song too)

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1/9/24 London:

We started the day bright and early, hopping on a train from London to meet our friend Hanbo in Oxford, who greeted us with his matching hat and a warm smile, along with his fiancée Irene and their baby daughter Sophie. Oxford, with its charming streets and iconic university buildings, felt like walking through a Harry Potter set—probably because they actually filmed some of it there. Irene, an alumna, gave us the inside scoop, and we even snuck a peek inside Christchurch College’s dining hall. After a hearty lunch and a brief tour of Hanbo’s picture-perfect apartment in Wolvercote, we wandered the peaceful Thames-side countryside, passing locks, cows, and an identity-crisis goose. Once back in London, we packed up at Dana and Ray’s before heading to "Lauren’s Place" (a.k.a. Chez Adam) where he whipped up another delicious meal. The day ended with a hilarious musical comedy show, and somehow, neither of us fell asleep in the middle of it—though the train ride back home was another story.

Unfortunately, we were unable to evade the notorious British tabloids…

2/9/24 London:

We kicked off the morning with a “half-English” breakfast at a local café, which left us wondering what the other half was supposed to be. After a leisurely stroll, we made our way to Hackney Wick to visit Gina and her shiny new apartment. The area had all the trendy vibes, with lunch by the canal under a convenient canopy while the quintessential British drizzle made its appearance. Back home for a brief pause, we were soon out again, heading to Covent Garden to catch up with Nicky's cousin Lauren and her fiancé Justin, who flew in from South Africa. It was Lauren’s birthday, so naturally, shopping and cake were in order. We all navigated the maze of Seven Dials Market for dinner, each going rogue with food choices, but reconvening for celebratory sweets. Wrapping up the day, we marveled at how much catching up can be squeezed into one afternoon without actually running out of things to talk about.

3/9/24 London:

Our last full day in London started with a bit of divide-and-conquer. Ben had some work meetings (because who doesn’t love thinking about work on holiday?), while Nicky geeked out over brutalist architecture on a tour of the Barbican. We regrouped for lunch at Spitalfields Market, where Ben kept calling it “Spitalfield singular” for some reason, but the food was so good, we let it slide. Afterward, we squeezed in a coffee with Lauren, who managed to escape work for just long enough to join us. A quick power nap (Ben) and some solo wandering (Nicky) later, we were off for our farewell dinner with Dana, Ray, and Lauren at an Afghan restaurant. Emotional goodbyes followed, and we’re still not sure if it was the delicious food or the fact that Dana needed a helping hand around the streets with her injured ankle that got us all misty-eyed.

4/9/24 Homeward Bound:

Our final day in London had us packing up our bags and squeezing in a last bit of culture before heading to the airport. We kicked things off with a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where we pretended to be cultured while admiring statues, fashion exhibits, and, of course, the crown jewels—though no, we didn’t try on any tiaras (sadly). After lunch—some sushi to keep things light—we wrapped up our packing, said our goodbyes, and set off for Heathrow. The adventure wasn’t quite over, though, as we ran into Nicky’s friend Ruth at the airport, squeezing in one last catch-up over airport food before we boarded our flight. And now, 23 hours of economy class and questionable legroom await us—fingers crossed we survive!