Feeling at home in London

The last few months have been a whirlwind, with getting accustomed to life in London, but also from going on spring break. I believe I made the right decision in not planning many weekend trips in the beginning months of my stay, and I realized this after feeling homesick for London during my spring break. Over spring break, I had the chance to go to Edinburgh, Scotland and Naples, Italy with my flatmates, and finally going to Porto, Portugal on my own.

Scotland

In the first leg of our spring break, we visited Edinburgh and got to hike and see the beautiful landscape, and also see sites like the legendary Loch Ness. We also walked the streets that inspired J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley, and took a tour through the Highlands to see the majestic Scottish mountains.

Naples

In the second leg of our journey, we made our way to Naples, Italy for some warmer weather and sun. Since I had previously gone to Italy before, I was largely there for the food and other treats. We were able to visit Pizzeria da Michele, a well-known pizzeria mentioned and recommended in Eat, Pray, Love. We also made a day trip to Sorrento to see the beautiful coast, and where I had the most delicious fish and lemon gelato! Naples was a nice break from the usual rain and cloudy weather of London (though I do admit, I think the rain is much worse in Florida).

Porto

Porto has to be one of my favorite destinations that I’ve been to in Europe. Traveling solo is quite a different experience from traveling with other people. I enjoyed the time and lack of agenda I had, which allowed me to simply roam the beautiful streets of Porto. It was also a chance to avoid the bustle of being a tourist and simply walking around without a destination. I also found that people in Porto were very kind and helpful towards tourists, so I highly recommend this town to anyone interested in visiting Portugal. Every meal that I had was also incredible, this city was quite a hidden gem!

Ireland

Fortunately and unfortunately, I did not have too much time to get back into my usual schedule after spring break, since I had friends visiting me as soon as I got back to London. During the week, I got the chance to be a tourist again and went on trips to the London eye, China Town, museums, and to have afternoon tea. My friends and I also went on a weekend trip to Dublin and to see the infamous Cliffs of Moher. Dublin was also quite a magical city, with one of the highlights being all of the talented live musicians in pubs.

As my spring break ended and I have hosted visiting friends from the U.S., I have been starting to miss my relaxing routine from my first few months in the city. I’ve planned and booked many more trips for weekends in March and April, however, as I start feeling at home in London and my days seem more limited, I am starting to slightly regret not saving more free weekends to stay in London. This city truly feels like home now, and I could easily imagine moving here one day, despite my usual reluctance to live in a big city. All of the usual characteristics of a city that make me feel overwhelmed and invisible do not seem to exist in this beautiful city.