Author: Emilee

Why I’m So Obsessed With My Heritage

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You have to understand something to understand the answer to the headline of this blog post.

I’ve always been an outsider. I grew up in neighborhoods where I didn’t look like anyone, I went to family reunions where I didn’t look like anyone, I went to a school where I didn’t look like anyone, and I went to a church where I distinctly remember there being ONE person who looked like me…and it wasn’t a small church.

I grew up constantly being told what and who I didn’t look like…essentially I grew up being told what I was not. People were constantly stripping my identity from me. I couldn’t possibly be her daughter because I didn’t look like her. I couldn’t possibly be her sister because I didn’t look like her. I couldn’t possibly belong in the Nordic club at college because there’s no way I’m part Scandinavian. “He can’t be your brother, he’s way lighter than you.”

The best way I can explain my feeling growing up is the scene in the Disney animated movie Cinderella. You know that scene right before the ball when her step-sisters rip her newly made gown from Cinderellas body? Yeah, that. Despite wanting to belong, to celebrate and establish her place in the world she’s rejected in a very real and tangible way. To me, the verbal refutation of who I was felt just like that. Every time someone expressed how there was no way I wasn’t adopted I felt like the pearls had been ripped from my neck and lay scattered across the ground.

For 19 years I swam in the grief that bubbles around being constantly told who you’re not. While I had a very supportive mother who tried to verbally bat away the sentiments that just about everyone seemed to have, there’s only so much one person can do (especially when they’re not by your side).

It wasn’t until I was in my mid twenties that I said “Fuck it.”
I was going to decide who I was.
I was going to decide what I did with my life, and if I was ‘too light’ to be in one and ‘too dark’ to be in the other—I would build my own culture.

This was a large part of why I started traveling. Because when I was standing on the cliffs of Ireland there was no living creature, on this planet or another, who could argue with the way my heart sung. My blood knows where I belong. It pulses differently when I’m home. And home is not a building. It’s a song, a taste, a smell…it’s seeing art that dates back hundreds of years and somehow completely understanding the mindset of its makers. Because they think the same way I do.

I made the decision five years ago to travel to each country I knew I had an ethnic tie with and this year I completed that journey with my trip to Norway. It could honestly not have been a better ending with such a serene time exploring the beauty of Oslo. But now I want to dig deeper. I want to know more.

A lot of people are surprised when I take classes to learn the traditional methods of my ancestors but I think it’s so incredibly important. I need to reach back in as tangible of a way as I can. I need to feel the heart beat of generations through our art, stories, food and writing. It would be impossible for me to fully describe how it feels like I’ve found a missing puzzle piece each time I dig deeper into my cultural heritage…but I will tell you one thing.

I don’t know if, like me, you feel like an outsider. But if you do, don’t ever let other people define you. Build your own legacy. Weave your own narrative and embrace those things that make your heart soar. I know it sounds corny, but you might be the only person listening to that exact frequency. And if you follow it? Well, there’s a good chance other people won’t understand why. They won’t understand why you feel the need to cook traditional meals, learn how to make folk art, or dance to the same songs that have inspired generations.

But that’s okay.

It’s okay for no one else to get it.

The reason that I’m so inspired and passionate about embracing my cultural heritage is because I refuse to believe that I’m alone. I refuse to accept a narrative of “I can’t”. I will not live among the restrictions that others have told me about who or what I can be. And with every look of shock as I walk into a class, visit a country, speak a language or know more about a country’s history than those that live in it, I choose to grin. Because this is my story. And I’m going to make it a hell of a good one.

 

 

Riga, Latvia: Nation Of Cats

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As you might have picked up on, I love history.

Leaving Oslo and traveling to Riga, I really had no idea what I was getting into. The only reason I even knew Latvia was a country was because I met a guy in college who was from here. But ever since that encounter, I was curious about the country, and I was more than a little happy to have a few days in my trip itinerary where I could adventure a little off the known path. And by known path I mean I’m still in the EU haha…I’m just not in a city where a lot of American tourists choose to go. Which is a little unfortunate because this city is BEAUTIFUL.

And even beyond it being a beautiful city, it has super friendly people (at least in the city center where I’ve been) and it’s super affordable. The town as a whole is actually a lot like a medieval city with its cobbled streets and old buildings. The history of this city is pretty tragic with multiple invasions, bombings and general unrest but the state of the city today is, as my tour guide put it, “Only going up!”

A few fun facts about Riga;

They have roosters on the top spires of their churches instead of  crosses but nobody really knows why (potentially a biblical reference or because roosters are what wakes you up first thing in the morning). Regardless of the reason, it’s pretty fun to see. There are three major churches in this city and it’s great for travellers prone to getting lost because they’re higher up than the rest of the city. You can usually always see one of them!

One of my favorite facts about this city is that it’s known as a “Nation of cats” which of course speaks to my soul as someone who loves cats more than life. A great example of the cat obsession is that a large number of souvenirs you can buy here are little toy cats, and on top of one of the central buildings are two stone statues of cats that come with one of the most “cat person” stories I’ve ever heard. It goes something like this:

Once there was this guy who wanted to get into politics but he couldn’t because he wasn’t German. He tried for years to no avail. So the man did what anyone would do, he bought the lot of land across the street and built a building directly facing the politicians building. At eye level with the top story of the German building he places two stone cats, with their butts facing the building. Obviously not what you want to see when you’re drinking your morning coffee. It took years for the man to finally be persuaded (aka paid) to turn the cat statues around so their heads are now facing the building to this day.

The moral of this story? Don’t mess with cat people.

Another fun thing about Latvia is their obsession with Amber, which has always been one of my favorite gemstones because of its connection with dinosaurs…and I LOVE dinosaurs. And when I was warned about this obsession I had no idea. There are entire stores dedicated to it, and even souvenir shops carry it. It’s also fairly inexpensive which is amazing because it means I may have bought several pairs of earrings (they were about $15/pair). And speaking of affordable…DAMN RIGA.

There are definitely tourist traps in this city that are overpriced (and they know it) but the city as a whole is extremely affordable. It’s pretty easy to get a small meal for around $5-$8 and I’ve seen a few $7 buffets for breakfast/lunch. This is one of the only cities where I actually haven’t gone to the grocery store because it’s about the same price for me to just buy 1-2 meals/day and snack in between. I’m definitely having to enjoy that now since my next stop is the UK which, as we all know, is definitely not cheap.

But at least the exchange rate from the British pound to the US dollar is fairly cheap. I think $1 = 0.77£ last time I checked. I remember the first time I traveled to the U.K. everything was basically double price. I AM super excited to be going back to the U.K. though as it’s one of my favorite spots. Stay tuned for updates!

Norway: Returning To My Family’s Roots

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I’ve always wanted to go to Norway. It’s the part of my heritage on my mom’s side that I’m the most connected with mainly because that side of my family NEVER stops talking about it. We’re very proudly Scandinavian and I think it was growing up around that mentality that made me want to visit this place so bad.

And now here I am.

The last couple a days have been a jet-lag blur, but today some clarity finally started to break through. I took my time getting ready this morning and finally made my way over to the Oslo Opera House around noon. The building reminded me a lot of the Titanic Museum in Northern Ireland mainly because it too is shaped like an iceberg, and it was also just really nice to sit by the ocean during the few moments of blissful sun.

The opera house was also the starting place for my walking tour, which I booked through Airbnb Experiences. Airbnb is currently one of my favorite places to find experiences in cities because it matches you with actual professionals in the space you’re hoping to enjoy (with the exception of Riga, Latvia which didn’t have any experiences available…sadness). In the past, this was how I found my hat making experience in London, Yoga in Paris, and my most picture famous experience: Royal Day Out. For this trip I have an travel journal class scheduled for tomorrow, in addition to my walking tour today and a photo shoot in London the very last day of my trip.

The tour today was two hours and walked around the city throughout it’s historic center and on to City Hall. The walk was super lovely even though my legs are dying because I’ve been sat behind a desk for way too long (by the end of this trip I fully intend on having power thighs again…especially since I’m walking 5-10 miles each day). The best value of the walking tour, though, was having a Norwegian native I could talk to. I loved the knowledge of my host and she peaked my interest about my own family enough for me to start asking my mom more questions. It turns out that our family DOES have census records that were shoved into a box somewhere that tell the exact Norwegian city my great-grandpa was born in.

I won’t have time to visit it this trip, but you KNOW I’ll be going there in the future. Another fun thing I learned today was that the traditional dresses/suits you see in Norway are very specific to cities/regions. VERY specific. As in, you can actually get in trouble if you wear one that’s not where you’re from. I’m so glad I found this out because I’ve been wanting to make a traditional dress from Norway for about four years and I haven’t had the information of which style I should make. Well. Guess what guys? Now that I know the city I know exactly what design is ours, and I couldn’t be more excited.

It’s crazy, but the design that is specific to our region is EXACTLY what I would have chosen if I had all of the Bunad designs lined up: Classic with a whole lot of extra.

Another really amazing part of my walking tour was getting to see the building that Norwegians emigrated to the U.S. from back in late 19th, early 20th, century. It’s still there. It was pretty crazy to think that over 100 years ago my great-grandfather (who shares my birthday, by the way) was more than likely standing at that building where I was standing. And it’s even MORE crazy to think a journey I took in half a day took him weeks, landing in a country that changed his last name and told him to “Go West Young Man!”

Our family made enough of a living in the U.S. but I know that there wouldn’t have been enough money to even consider returning to Norway for a visit. Especially not with his nine children. Yeah, NINE. I wonder if he ever wanted to come back? Probably. As far as I can tell the only reason to leave Norway during that time was because there wasn’t anything for people to do here and the country was dismally poor. But to leave your home and everything you know is not easy (as I know in a way less permanent way by moving to France) and I’m sure there were moments where coming back to visit was something he wanted more than anything.

It’s so odd to be so intimately connected to a place that I had never been before, but that’s one of the reasons I’ve wanted to make visiting places like Ireland, England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, and now Norway, a priority. I’ve said it before, but visiting the places your family is genetically tied to does something to you. It awakens something. And it’s really hard to explain I guess unless you’ve experienced it, but my sincere wish is that we never forget our roots…because where we’re from matters. And it’s a more intricate part of who we are than I think any of us realize.

Tomorrow: The Viking Museum + Touring the Fjords + A travel journal class!

A London Birthday To Remember: Royal Day Out

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I’ve always been a little over the top when it comes to my birthday so it probably surprised no one that I went fanning into this one in an 18th century dress. One of the best travel resources I started using this trip were Airbnb experiences which are experiences that you can reserve with local artists, instructors, and experts to learn more about a city from the people who live there.

I really love the concept and the experiences because throwing money at a tourist trap is not exactly my idea of a good time. I really love that Airbnb is opening revenue streams for local artists, while providing travelers with unique experiences…like this one!

As I’ve written before, London hasn’t always been my favorite city but this trip has pretty much been a dream as far as experiences. I’m not sure exactly why, but something just clicked this time around…seventh time’s a charm I guess. But real talk. My time in London was absolutely beautiful. One of the main reasons, of course, being this photo shoot from Royal Day Out.

Not only was did this experience allow me to dress up in a eighteenth century dress (with my Vans on, ah yeah.) but it also allowed me to see more of London with a mini tour from my host/photographer, Lauren. Lauren was everything a photographer should be, and really captured the fun that taking these photos should be. She was an absolute ray of sunshine to walk around with, and we had tons of laughs as people gawked, waved and stopped us on the streets.

It was funny  how the whole experience turned out because I thought I would be in a group when I booked the photoshoot, but it turned out to be just me and Lauren. At first it was a little intimidating since she didn’t (for obvious photographer reasons) dress up as well but I got used to it as we walked our way to Kensington Park…which is where Harry and Meghan have their London residence. NBD.

It was funny because I really thought I was going to go for one of the white or light pink dresses and a subtle pink wig (or natural hair) but the moment I saw the blue dress I gravitated toward it. Yes I tried on some pink dresses as well, but it just wasn’t the same. The blue dress fit me like a glove and the rest of the outfit fell together flawlessly. One of my favorite parts was the fan which really helped me with the anxiety of walking around in London in costume. Ha. It also, of course, was a great addition to the look as a whole.

Other highlights of my birthday included having a banana chocolate cake baked for me by my Airbnb host and watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race which is currently my obsession. But I would definitely say that the photoshoot made this one of the most memorable birthdays to date. Someone asked me when the ball was going to be, and no joke-that’s my plan for my 30th birthday. 

My Return To Paris | 2018

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Paris: My former hometown, nemesis, and cosplay inspiration. It’s been four years since I boarded a plane and landed in France for the first time. “What could possibly go wrong?” I thought when I signed papers to work in a country I had never even visited with a family I had never even met. SPOILER: Everything went wrong.

Well, I guess not everything went wrong. Paris was the city that first got me in to cosplaying, and it was the first city where I started going to conventions, so I guess I do have to attribute those aspects of my life to my time here.

But overall, Paris and I have a love-hate relationship. It was really difficult living in this city and trying to learn a new language and culture…while taking care of four boys. To be perfectly honest I didn’t think I would come back. There was just so much pain tied to this city that I kind of kicked the dust off my feet when I left back in 2015.

But, here I am. 2018 and I’m once again in the city of love. I wish that I could say that this trip has changed my mind about Paris but there have been so many problems during my time here (48 hours) that I’m seriously starting to wonder if there’s some kind of curse on me, associated with Paris. To start things off, the Airbnb that I booked was NOTHING like the listing which resulted in me actually filing a complaint with Airbnb and getting a stipend from them to find a new place to stay. I’m also filing for a refund, but that can’t be processed until Tuesday.

To add insult to injury my computer died right after I got to the city because I brilliantly forgot to bring a converter for France, just England. And yeah yeah this is my fault, not the cities, but it still was added stress.

THEN my Airbnb experience “Yoga under the Eiffel Tower” got cancelled due to the weather, and while I was invited to a yoga studio instead it still just wasn’t the same…and I didn’t get a picture which was part of the package. Boo.

THEN it started raining today while I was heading out to my photoshoot, and I just about cried. If you are someone with curly hair, or know someone with curly hair you’ll know why. It’s not even a matter of getting my hair wet, once it’s raining the humidity is enough to frizz my hair into space. It still was raining just a little bit when I started my photoshoot, but I was absolutely convinced to do the damn thing and so I’m a bit amused/curious how those photos will turn out. Sorry, no blue dress for these ones. I just wanted some pretty pictures of me around the city I used to live in.

After the shoot I got a chance to go over to Shakespeare and Co. which is a really beautiful bookshop in Paris that you all should go to. Mainly because they have a cat that lives in the shop. But also because it has a really cool history of inspiring writers throughout the decades. I also was really excited to find a bubble tea place in Paris that I’d never seen before. I think it’s new, and it was definitely filled with Americans, but I was so happy to have my favorite drink. Oh, and then I ate a crepe. Which is pretty much what I’ve been doing the whole time I’ve been here: eating.

Someone asked me today what I’d been doing with my time in Paris and I literally had nothing to say other than eating crepes. How many have I had? You’ll never know, and I’m never going to tell you.

A Day In Bath: The Jane Austen Festival

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One of the best decisions I’ve made on this trip was taking a sporadic trip west of London to a little city called Bath. Now, if you’re familiar with Jane Austen at all then you’ll probably recognize this city from a bunch of her books, most notably Persuasion, which is pretty much set entirely in the city. Jane Austen did not write Persuasion while she was in Bath but she did live in the city, so the reoccurring placement of the city in her books makes a lot of sense.

And it just so happens to be that Jane Austen was exactly the reason I went to Bath. A couple of years ago I’d heard about The Jane Austen festival and I wanted to go more than anything…but it didn’t really seem reasonable to fly to England just for that. So instead of booking a plane ticket I bookmarked the page on Facebook. And then I completely forgot about it—UNTIL a few days ago. It turns out that somehow I booked a trip during the festival this year. Happy accident, indeed. So on Sunday I jumped on the train and bought a ticket to a couple of events. I’d never been to bath before, or had it recommended to me by anyone so I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew were the Jane Austen references.

The good news is, I was more than pleasantly surprised by bath and how much it had to offer. Before I left for London I had been researching Jane Austen tours because I knew I wanted to do something focused on her, but I definitely didn’t want to sit on a bus for 5 hours just to see the house she wrote in. I also didn’t want to pay +$300 in order to sit on said bus. I also have a pretty strict rule that I don’t pay over $150 for a day tour, so Bath was a perfect substitution. The breakdown:

$70 – Train round trip

$15 – Jane Austen Centre

$20 – 1 Hour Jane Austen Walking Tour

$40 – Roman Baths + Fashion Museum

$20 – Theatrical performance of Northanger Abbey

Grand Total $165 for an experience that was completely one of a kind, didn’t involve me sitting for long periods of time, and gave me the flexibility to do what I wanted when I wanted. It also saved me over $100. Bam.

My first stop for the day were the Roman Baths which have been a tourist attraction for thousands of years. The Romans built them as a tribute to the gods and swore by their healing qualities. I don’t know about that, and by the smell I wouldn’t say there was any healing going on, but I definitely think they were beautiful.

After I went to the Roman Baths I stopped by The Jane Austen Centre which is a collection of memorabilia and information about Jane’s family life and time in Bath. It really is more of a fangirl’s dream than a museum, but it was a fun time and not very expensive so I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something fun to do. There was also a tea room adjoined which I didn’t have time to visit, but I would definitely suggest checking it out, since I heard good things from those who did go.

Next up was the Fashion Museum which was I knew was going to be my favorite part of the day before I even stepped into the building. As someone who has studied historical fashion since I was five years old, I allotted the most time of my day to this museum. And it was so worth it.

After the Fashion Museum I had a scheduled walking tour as part of The Jane Austen Festival. Little did I know that everyone on this tour was going to be in costume. But hey, you live and you learn. The actual tour was amazing. It was comedy themed with a script and continuing story line that allowed the tour group to “find” different characters around the city and interact with the city. It was like going to a walking theatre production. Which, for this ADHD mind was absolutely brilliant.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat I headed back over to The Pump Rooms for a theatre production of Northanger Abbey which was hilarious because there were only two people acting out the entire production…well, two people and six puppets to be precise. I guess you’d kind of have to be there to realize how mad genius it was.

Overall the day was a complete success that completely wiped me out. In other words, I fell asleep on the train on the way back. But it was worth it. I had so much fun and I would love to come back another year and bring a costume along with me.

The Making Of Harry Potter: A Witch’s Tale

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The REAL Hogwarts

Slytherin pride doesn’t start to describe my slight obsession with Harry Potter. I’ve been known to make people take the Pottermore test when I first meet them to find out whether we’re compatible, and I try to visit something new that’s focused on Harry Potter every time I come to London.

The funny thing is, I grew up conservatively so I actually wasn’t allowed to read/watch anything to do with Harry Potter. I really didn’t know a whole lot about it until I reached my twenties, and then the floodgates were released. But I’m not mad. In my family that just wasn’t a part of how we were raised, and we had lots of other experiences and books and movies that we watched that other families didn’t. The best thing about coming to love Harry Potter later in life is that I have a fresh passion for it. One that sometimes leaves me acting like the nine year old who just read The Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time.

Yesterday was one of such slightly obsessive days when I got to live out an absolute dream: walking on the set of the Harry Potter movies.

I was really excited that I bought a joint pass to the Warner Bros Studio because that meant I didn’t have to worry about bussing from/back to London/the studio. And let me tell you, it is not close. It’s about a 45 minute ride. As in, we watched an entire Harry Potter movie there and back on the bus. The great part of this, though, was that I paid about $100 for transportation to and from the location plus a five hour long experience. Not bad considering that Universal Studios in California is $150 and there are two rides and absolutely NO props or costumes.

The tour started out in the great hall of Harry Potter where you could find some of the most notable Harry Potter costumes, and a collection of house robes. It was pretty amazing to be standing there on the same cobblestones that the actors had filmed.

Of course, I had to celebrate my Hogwarts house (#SlytherinPride) during this whole process. I only wish that I had been able to bring my robes. Yes I have robes. But there’s no way that packing that beauty would have been worth the wrinkles. I did, however, bring my wand that I had custom made a few years back. It’s been with me to Universal CA, so I felt like it was necessary to continue the tradition by bringing it with me to London.

Looking back, I have a feeling I would’ve spent twice as long in the exhibits if I hadn’t been severely jet-lagged but I still had such a great time at all of the photo ops and learning about the process of filming. One of my favorite memories is standing in Dumbledore’s study. I had never noticed that all of the paintings on the walls in there are of the school’s faculty…with their eyes closed. It’s little details like this that really make the Harry Potter series, and the franchise as a whole, breathtaking.

Getting to step aboard the Hogwart’s Express was pretty amazing as well. I don’t know how they fit an entire train in the building, but let that be a bit of an indication of how huge this place was. If you ever plan a trip out here I would definitely say give yourself a solid 4 hours to explore. And also to shop. Honestly the store at this location was so incredibly huge and had merchandise I’ve never seen anywhere else. Of course I bought a little bit of swag…or a lot. You’ll never know because I’m the only one who sees my credit card statements. The point is, if you’re going to go somewhere magical…make sure you come back with something worth talking about.

10 Confessions From A Travel Blogger

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If you hate planes this is the post for you. Or, rather, flying. I love planes. Travel in general is usually a bit of a whirlwind, but it can look a lot more glamourous that it actually is. So, to give you a peek behind the curtain I’ve decided to tell you ten of my most deadly secrets:

  1. I don’t like flying
    TBH I’m pretty indifferent when it comes to flying, but I definitely don’t like it. I’m terrified of planes crashing while I’m on them and turbulence scares the shit out of me (sorry for the swearing, mom). But you know…it’s a small price to pay when it comes to having experiences of a lifetime and I have to weigh my fear against my longing to see more of the world.
  2. I eat McDonalds and Starbucks when I travel
    Stop your little judgy-judge self. I definitely do like supporting small businesses but something I’ve noticed about those places is that hey often don’t have wi-fi and are cramped for space. Which if I’m trying to write makes life a little difficult. I also have a lot of food allergies and so sometimes I just want something predictable and easy to choose from. Fun fact: I’ve tried McDonalds in +10 countries and the menus are ALL different! 
  3. I actually really like most hostels
    I know at some point I’m supposed to outgrow hostels, but I really like being around other people who share my love of travel. That being said, I would NEVER stay in a hostel in the U.S. because the culture is completely different, but when I’m traveling around the globe they give me some great opportunities to meet new people and have new experiences. 
  4. Sometimes solo travel gets really lonely
    Even though I’m a class 5 introvert I still get really lonely sometimes when I’m traveling. Most of the time I’m great, and I definitely prefer to travel solo but there are definitely days that are rougher than others. Usually to fix this phase I plug into my Facebook group of girls who travel, try to schedule meetups with my friends or join a walking tour. 
  5. I walk miles and miles and miles
    Something that you don’t really get to see is just how much I walk when I’m traveling. I mean miles and miles and hours and hours. I’ve always loved walking, but I also love the gems that I can find when I’m walking around a city. That being said, I never walk alone late at night and try to stay in mostly populated areas so that I’m safe. 
  6. My favorite thing to do is go clothing shopping
    This is kind of the worst because I’m a backpacker which means that I have basically no room for clothes when I travel…and yet somehow I’m always buying clothes. Usually I’ll just choose a few amazing pieces because of space restrictions, but absolutely love walking through shops when I’m traveling.
  7. I love old churches
    Churches are my happy place. I was raised very religious, and while I don’t hold the exact belief system of religion that I was brought up with churches always bring me peace and anchor me. In Europe it’s also beautiful because these places of worship have been around for so many centuries and the craftmanship is just jaw-dropping. Not defending the history of the church, but there will always be a part of me deeply tied to it.
  8. I make a lot of dumb mistakes and have to laugh them off
    So this morning I tried to get on a train and could not for the life of me figure out how to put the ticket in the machine. No this is not my first time in the U.K. Yes, I have ridden public transportation here before. But for some reason when it came time to slide my ticket in, I went completely blank. The  lady standing in line behind me basically cheerleadered me on until I figured it out but it was a great example of one of those times that I do something really stupid and have to just laugh it off. When you’re traveling around to different cultures and countries this is going to probably happen a lot. One of the most useful travel tools you can develop is humor. 
  9. I have social anxiety
    Let me tell you what happens when I get around a group of people: my mind, body, and soul start shutting down. Throughout traveling I’ve been able to acknowledge this and develop some strategic ways to make traveling work for me even though I hate being around people…especially unfamiliar people. For instance, I’ve invested in noise canceling headphones. I take breaks throughout the day to go back to my hostel/Airbnb. Not optional, I force myself to take breaks. I bring books with me. I plan like nobody’s business so I don’t get overwhelmed when I leave my home base. There is no right way to travel. Customizing your experience so that it makes you happy is the only thing you need to worry about. 
  10. I go to bed really early, and wake up really early when I travel
    You might think that the party life is what traveling is all about, but unless I’m in Copenhagen, this is just not how I travel. Referencing back to my previous point, being around a ton of people is really exhausting for me, so waking up really early (like 6am or 7am) and taking a walk around a city can be a really refreshing way to start my day. In order to do this, though, I have to go to bed pret-ty early which means no late night partying for me…unless I’m in Copenhagen.
  11. BONUS: Jet lag is from the devil
    You may have heard of those people who jet-lag barely affects. I am not one of them. That’s why I’m finishing writing this post at 4am and why the hostel workers were like “Do you have to be up for a flight?” Nope. I’m just terrible at getting my body to cooperate. It usually takes me about three days to get over jet-lag so I usually don’t plan a whole lot of interactive activities during those days. Why? Because I’m not a saint when I’m tired. And now you know.

Review: Pimlico Fresh

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I can’t stop thinking about this place, so I thought I would write a review on the restaurant I stumbled into yesterday. Now, mind you, I was famished and very jet-lagged when I came here so perhaps that’s why it seemed angelic… but also there are some legitimate bragging points. The toast, for instance. I am definitely a carb-ivore, so having European bread after choking down American for a year is always an interesting switch. Think of it as always drinking La Croix and never realizing there’s real fruit juice in the world. Yeah, I went there.

My one down talk on this place was that there were a lot of Americans there and usually I don’t recommend a place that’s built for tourists. But I don’t get the feel that was the story here. I think the main reason was because of the location (within a few minutes walk from Victoria station). Oh, and if you’re looking for some Instagram worthy food then this is the spot you’re gonna want to hit up.

 

Ordered: Scrambled eggs on toast, sausage, and English Breakfast tea

Where: 86 Wilton Rd London SW1V 1DE

Went: September 2018

Wifi: No

Reservation Needed: No

Website: None. Ha.

Tip: This spot is right by Victoria station and has bread and tea to die for. The seating is set up with big tables so don’t be afraid to sit down next to a stranger to eat your food.
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London: A Writer’s Paradise

Published on by EmileeLeave a comment

The first time I came to London I hated it. Like really hated it. The busy backwards streets, the millions of people, the high prices…it was all too much for my little introvert mind. And don’t even get me started on the Tube. At the time, the thought of commuting underground absolutely terrified me.

A lot has changed in the last five years. I’ve visited London more and it has started to feel more like my city. I started to feel more comfortable wandering beyond the tourist spots early in the morning. I learned to look both ways when I cross a street…just in case. And obviously after living in Paris taking an underground metro is second nature to me, now. It’s comical, when I think back, that this year I decided that London was going to be where I spent my birthday. My birthday is a really important day of the year, and I’m pretty particular about how I spend it. I’ve been in London less than 24 hours and I already know I made the right decision…but it’s still laughable.

I bought this plane ticket back in March when a lot of things were uncertain for me. I didn’t know where I was going to live, work or what direction I was headed. I didn’t even have my cat, which is a tragedy to think about. When I saw the non-stop tickets from Seattle to London I knew I needed to jump on the opportunity, but I also knew that with such an unknown future I didn’t know if I’d even be able to get the time off from whatever job I was working six months down that road. So naturally I bought a ticket.

And now I’m sitting in a café in London. Different job, different living situation, different life. The lesson to learn here is that when you make travel a priority you might be surprised how the universe moves to make it happen.

There’s another reason I decided to take this trip, beyond the fact that it’s my birthday on Wednesday and that’s because I wanted to really dive into a writing state of mind. What better place than London? While I’m here my #1 priority is to immerse myself in writing. That could mean learning about writers, sitting here writing while I’m severely jet-lagged or meeting up with other writers while I’m here. Also just having more experiences to write about. I want it all. And I need it.

The last couple years have been pretty intense and amidst those times my writing has dropped off in a lot of ways, which is tragic since all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a kid was to write. So here I am in one of the greatest cities in the world, soaking up as much knowledge as I can and typing away on my little blog. Let’s see what adventures we can have.

P.s. Tomorrow I’m going to Harry Potter Land…aka Warner Bros Studios London!