08/22 - London D1
Visiting London had been on my wish list for quite some time. And after Dad passed away, I knew that waiting for the ideal circumstances to travel internationally wasn’t something I could wait around for. So, I booked the flight and embarked on my first-ever solo trip overseas.
If you are considering solo travel abroad, London is an excellent place to start because there is no language barrier for those in the U.S., making it seem less daunting.
I flew into London Heathrow from Atlanta and arrived around 11:00 a.m. local time. Being a Delta loyalist, I flew with them on a co-branded Virgin Atlantic flight in Premium Select. My last flight across the Atlantic was in 2019, and I was on Comfort Plus. While Comfort Plus is a bit roomier than Economy, I very much appreciated the ability to recline my seat in Premium Select. Mind you, it’s not a lie-down, fully reclining seat. That is Delta One, which I can share in future posts.
I’m basically Goldilocks when it comes to sleeping. It has to be cold, dark, and quiet so even with the reclining seat, I didn’t get much sleep on the overnight flight. But I was so excited when we landed that my adrenaline gave me some pep in my step. I remember feeling like the baggage claim belt was PAINFULLY slow at London Heathrow. I’m unsure if that is the norm, but I will say that patience is not a strong suit of mine.
After grabbing my suitcases, I headed outside to “queue” in the black cab line. Shortly after arriving, the woman behind me said, “Excuse me. Is this the queue for the black cab?” I turned around with a smile to say “yes,” only to find that the absolutely stunning Thandiwe Newton was the first person to speak with me in London. Being that I have ZERO chill around celebrities, I immediately blurted out, “I love you on Westworld,” she replied super casually, “Oh. Thanks.” That woman has all the chill I lack and then some. She was a bit annoyed at the length of the line, though, and ultimately called someone and left by some other form of transportation.
Before I knew it, I was in my first-ever black cab and headed to my hotel just south of Tower Bridge on Tooley Street. It was a former police station and is called The Dixon—excellent location and value. En route to the hotel, I started to pass out and lose steam. In between head bobs, I remember waking up and catching my first glimpse of Big Ben and the River Thames. It felt so surreal. I’d also chatted a bit with the black cab driver about the years of preparation they need to master The Knowledge before becoming black cab drivers.
The cardinal rule of surviving jet lag is staying awake on day one and keeping yourself up until night at your destination. Upon arriving at The Dixon around 2:00 p.m., I threw caution to the wind and immediately crawled into bed and passed out hard. Zero regrets. Maybe I was lucky, but it didn’t interfere with my acclimation.
I woke from my nap around 7:00 p.m. and decided to get changed and go out to dinner. Being in a haze of exhaustion on the drive into the hotel, I had no idea just how close I was to Tower Bridge. I stepped out of the hotel aimlessly, took a right at the corner, and there she was. The view took my breath away. As I was crossing Tower Bridge, I noticed a vibey outdoor restaurant on the banks of the Thames and decided it was my destination.
As I walked up to the maitre d’ at Vicinity, I was asked if I had a reservation. When I shared that I didn’t, I was told that they were fully booked for the night. However, with a pout of disappointment on my face, he asked if I was alone. When I confirmed it was just me, he immediately sat me at a table, where I dined on my first plate of bangers and mash with an incredible view of Tower Bridge.
After dinner, I stopped by the hotel bar at The Dixon for a glass (or two) of champagne and ended up chatting with a motocross competitor living in Spain, but originally from the U.S. He fairly quickly proved to be an ass (lol), so I did what I do best and shifted my attention to chit chat with the bartender before calling it a night and getting a wonderful night’s sleep.
