Never ever in my life did I ever think I’d be going to Europe. The only instances I had with experiencing life outside the US are the Carnival cruises I went on. For some reason, Europe just seemed like such a faraway place.  Well, 2 flights and a 2-hour layover later, I was there with Robert getting my passport stamped. We stayed in the Paddington Court area at the Park Grand hotel. The neighborhood is really walkable and it looks right out of a movie.

London is one of those places on everyone’s bucket list; figuring out where to visit in London is a task in itself. You see pictures of the city and it’s a mix of picturesque and relics plus there’s so much to see. We walked around the city the entire time and every building looked like it has some kind of historical significance. For me, I was trying to see all the popular tourist spots I could fit in a short trip. The only thing I wasn’t able to do was see my cousin Meaghan since she was busy being the duchess and whatnot.

Tip: don’t try to do it all in 1 day. It’s not possible. There’s so much to see and do that you’ll definitely tire yourself out and be done early. Break it up by day and relax.

Buckingham Palace

Did you really visit London if you didn’t see Buckingham Palace? On our first official day of the trip, Robert and I caught the train near our hotel and pretended to be locals for a hot second. We all know what Buckingham Palace means to the world: royals, elegance, and luxury. I wasn’t fortunate enough to see the changing of the guards or take a pic with any of them but being there is enough for me. It’s like it’s own world because everything around it is modern and fast but here you have this little spot of medieval times.

Selfridges

Selfridges is probably the most popular mall in London…maybe even in England. The mall isn’t like your normal department store where most of the items are spread out. I walked in and felt overwhelmed because there’s so much to look at. Selfridges carries mainly designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci, and many others so I knew I wasn’t buying anything from there. There were other affordable stores in the area so that was better for me. One day I’ll be back and buy up everything in the mall.

Kensington Gardens

Y’all, this park is so gorgeous. There were so many trees everywhere and I can tell everyone goes there to relax after a long day. Even after being on a plane forever, it felt refreshing to walk around and get fresh air. I thought it was funny all the dogs in the park never ran up to either me or Robert…completely different than other dogs here in the states. The most beautiful part of the park is Round Pond. There were all kinds of birds flying around; one duck walked up to me like we were besties.

Palace of Westminster

I wish I could’ve gone inside to see what it looked like. For some weird reason, I saw it and immediately thought of the old photos with men wearing horrendous wigs and black robes. It would’ve been interesting to see the Parliament in action and how it operates.

I’m beyond grateful to be doing all this with someone like Robert since I never even saw a trip like this for myself. He made it happen and now I don’t have any worries about going on another overseas trip. Have you been overseas before? Where did you go?

More pics and videos from the London trip: