Big Ben
Peace from London
Tower Bridge
Reunited w/ Yao 🇨🇳 🇬🇧
Tower of London
Westminster Abbey
Stained glass inside Westminster Abbey
Palace of Westminster (left)
Palace of Westminster (right)
Buckingham Palace
Victoria Memorial
St. James's Park
Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral
The British Museum interior (left)
The British Museum interior (right)
The Rosetta Stone
Townley Discobolus
🗿
Piccadilly Circus
English breakfast
"Mind the gap"
1/21
With my hopes of thru-hiking shattered after my PCT attempt, I figured I would just go back to my life as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. My dad - who had the wisdom to travel as much as he could before settling down - said something like “Well..you still have savings. Why not just do a trip to Europe before you start working again? You have nothing to lose!” I never envisioned myself being able to travel abroad solo. I guess once you’re stranded on the border of Mexico with everything you need to survive on your back (read more about my PCT hike here) it makes traveling to another country a breeze. After hearing his advice I figured why the hell not?!
Before this, I had never traveled internationally. Not even to Mexico or Canada. One of my best friends from college, Yao, had just finished moving to London to start his master's degree so I’d be able to visit him. That, along with being in a country that has “English” written into the country’s name, made it seem like the perfect place to get my bearings! With no plans, I bought a one-way plane ticket to London, a Eurail pass, and set off on a 5-week journey across Europe!
London really was the perfect place to start my trip. So many famous landmarks, sites, and museums to visit all within walking distance or a short tube ride. It was truly a treat! The only thing I remember throwing me off a bit was some of the English phrases I encountered. Like when I got off my 12-hour flight absolutely exhausted and the first person I interacted with said “You alright?”. It’s just their way of saying “How’s it going?”. I cannot wait to visit again someday to experience more of what England has to offer!
I want to give a big shoutout to my friend Yao for not only housing me, but also being a good travel buddy, and making me feel welcomed across the pond.
September 28, 2022
With my hopes of thru-hiking shattered after my PCT attempt, I figured I would just go back to my life as a software engineer in Silicon Valley. My dad - who had the wisdom to travel as much as he could before settling down - said something like “Well..you still have savings. Why not just do a trip to Europe before you start working again? You have nothing to lose!” I never envisioned myself being able to travel abroad solo. I guess once you’re stranded on the border of Mexico with everything you need to survive on your back (read more about my PCT hike here) it makes traveling to another country a breeze. After hearing his advice I figured why the hell not?!
Before this, I had never traveled internationally. Not even to Mexico or Canada. One of my best friends from college, Yao, had just finished moving to London to start his master's degree so I’d be able to visit him. That, along with being in a country that has “English” written into the country’s name, made it seem like the perfect place to get my bearings! With no plans, I bought a one-way plane ticket to London, a Eurail pass, and set off on a 5-week journey across Europe!
London really was the perfect place to start my trip. So many famous landmarks, sites, and museums to visit all within walking distance or a short tube ride. It was truly a treat! The only thing I remember throwing me off a bit was some of the English phrases I encountered. Like when I got off my 12-hour flight absolutely exhausted and the first person I interacted with said “You alright?”. It’s just their way of saying “How’s it going?”. I cannot wait to visit again someday to experience more of what England has to offer!
I want to give a big shoutout to my friend Yao for not only housing me, but also being a good travel buddy, and making me feel welcomed across the pond.
September 28, 2022