Spring Break

I followed Doug to London for Spring Break this year. Well... technically he followed me, as I got there 12 hours before he did, but I went because he was going to be there for work. I was on the fence about whether or not it was worth it to buy the airline ticket and only spend 5 days there, but once I looked at the website for the hotel he'd be staying at and discovered it included things like personal butler service, I realized that it was an opportunity that may not present itself again. When we travel on our own it's more of the "you share you bathroom with the guy down the hall" variety rather than "ring your butler to unpack your suitcase and press your clothes" variety.

So.. I arrived Saturday morning at about 8am, after not doing much sleeping on the plane (I can hardly sleep in my own bed, so planes are a nightmare for me) and had the day on my own. I didn't bring any luggage with me (Doug brought it with him) so that I could roam freely without a huge backpack or suitcase. Doug had talked to the hotel ahead of time and they said I may be able to check in early, so I took the train into the city and set off to find the hotel. I had a vague notion of where it was and ended up finding it fairly quickly. I came around the corner, spotted the hotel and didn't even pause. I was so intimidated I just kept walking. On my best of days I would not feel comfortable showing up at a fancy schmancy hotel, but after stumbling in after a night with no sleep and no shower I felt especially hesitant. I headed around the corner for a cup of coffee and a chance to regroup and pep myself up a bit.

Imagine the scene in The Sound of Music where Maria approaches the mansion gates for the first time -- that was me. I took a deep breath, walked past the Rolls Royce and the Ferrari, allowed the men in top hats and coats to open the door and approached the concierge. He assured me that my room would be ready momentarily and requested that I wait in the "withdrawing room." I perched on the edge of the sofa and tried to appear natural reading the newspaper in front of the fire. After passing on a beverage from the gentleman in the white tuxedo, the concierge arrived to escort me to my room. He took my handbag and led me to the elevator. When the elevator doors opened on my floor, my butler was waiting for me and greeted me by name. Can you even imagine me in this situation? I made my way through the tour of the room and it's many amenities, declined all offers of unpacking, pressing, champagne etc, found (what I hoped) was the acceptable amount of British money to press into his hand and finally collapsed on the bed once the door shut behind him.

Tired though I was, I couldn't justify sleeping the day away in London, but couldn't face wondering the streets of London either. I decided to take a train to Canterbury. I relaxed on the train and then explored the town and the cathedral on my own.








I've always wondered about solo travel because I have so much more time off than Doug ever does, but wasn't sure if 1) I could really pull it off and 2) if I'd enjoy it. Though it was only for a day, I was able to affirm my wonderings on both accounts. By the end of my adventure in Canterbury I felt confident enough to navigate my way home using the Tube after dark and walked back into the hotel as if I belonged.

I'll do my best to share info. from the rest of the trip and post more pictures.