Big Adventure - London, Day 9

Sunday, May 8, 2011

5:30am came very quick. Michele checked her bill and checked out and our taxi was waiting on schedule. We were both half asleep but were able to take in a few more sites on our way to the airport. It was the only day that it rained our whole stay. The hotel arranged the taxi so we were charged a flat fee of 50 pounds. It ended up being cheaper and quicker than the train when we split it.


When we got to the airport there was plenty of time so we checked in and went through customs. Once we were on the terminal side we located the Delta VIP area and ate some breakfast. Our first class seats were amazing. We each had our own seat one behind the other. The seats reclined flat, had their own TV monitor with a remote control, and a built in massage feature. They offered champagne, orange juice, and mimosas as soon as we sat down. Once we got in the air they just kept serving us food. Delta had US Airways beat hands down! I watched about 3 movies, read a little of my book, took a short nap, and began writing this journal about my trip. The flight was so smooth and went a lot faster than I thought it would.

We arrived in Miami around 3pm (8pm body time) and had to go through customs again. We claimed our luggage and rechecked it. One of the benefits of first class is that you get priority handling on your luggage. I was feeling pretty good once we got to Miami but by the time we left I was slowing down. It had been a long day.

We had a quick flight from Miami and landed in Orlando around 6pm(11pm body time). Dad picked me up in his truck and I told him all about my trip. He had been texting me all day letting me know he was tracking my flight, where my baggage claim was, and whether or not my flight was on time. He dropped me off and I felt so relieved to be home but so mixed up on time. I stayed up late to try and make sure I slept in the next day. Thank goodness I took Monday off.

I really had a good time. London was such a great place to visit. The culture there was comfortable and it felt like such an interesting place. Belgium was so pretty but it wasn’t as contemporary in style. It was a nice place to visit but I don’t want to live there. I think I could live in London for a short while but there were certainly some key things missing there that the American way just seems so much better. The flight to and from Europe wasn’t so bad although first class made a huge difference. It is worth the upgrade for that long of a flight so I am going to start saving for next time.

I learned a lot about myself on this trip. I learned that I have a good sense of direction and can probably go anywhere I wanted to with enough research and the right travel buddy. I also learned that I like to travel and with all the excitement happening around you it is possible to live through major time change relying on pure adrenaline. Hope you enjoyed the blog!

Until the next adventure...