London is by far one of my favorite cities. The first time I went was in January of 2017, an early graduation present I gave myself in my last semester of graduate school. I remember feeling so overwhelmed because up until that trip, I had only known London through movies and social media. I had also really wanted to go to Paris, so I took most of my savings and booked a 7-day trip: 3 days in each city, and 1 travel day.

Even though I was on a student (aka broke) budget, my goal was to see everything, as much as I could possibly see. I walked and walked, and took in the sights, the people, the vibe. Each city had its own magic. I fell very much in love.

Fast forward 2 years. My London nostalgia was bubbling over again. I felt like that first trip just wasn’t enough. Let’s be real, though – 3 days in London will NEVER be enough. I suppose I could partially blame social media for highlighting all the awesome things I didn’t do the last time. But then it happened – I booked my second trip.

This time around there were a few notable differences:

1. London would be my only destination.

2. I had a real job! Which meant that I had money to pay for things other than 1 meal a day and souvenirs for the family.

3. I had a full itinerary.

Below are 3 of the coolest things I did, which I highly recommend.

Book a photoshoot

AirBnB Experiences offers classes, guided walks, and photoshoots, the latter first entering my radar about a year ago. Confession: I’m obsessed! I booked one on this trip and it was AMAZING! These photoshoots are usually done in groups but this one only had 2 other people so we each got more photo time.

We went to 4 locations: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Royal Exchange, Leadenhall Market, and Tower Bridge, all walking distance from each other. Between each location, our photographer would give a little history about each attraction and some other sights along the way, as well as photography tips, something I found fascinating.

The photographer, Hadi Yazdani, was so creative, kind, and an awesome person overall. He truly brought my vision to life. Photoshoots are definitely worth it for those of you that want pictures taken to another level. Goodbye selfies and asking random strangers for a shot!

Go to a pink-themed café

I became obsessed with an adorable café called EL&N Café I discovered on Instagram prior to this trip. The pink and chic décor really catches the eye at first look, the delicious lattes and food presentation, almost immediately follow. One of the things I liked most about this café, aside from the obvious, was the abundant amount of healthy options on the menu. It was hard to choose, but in the end, I went with the Sicilian Chicken sandwich (I should’ve had 2) which came with a colorful salad.

The Spanish latte left me in a daze. SO. DAMN. GOOD! This coffee is made with condensed milk, and although it’s a little pricier, it’s worth every pence. A sweet indulgence indeed! We need more cute cafés like this in NYC.

The first location I went to is Park Lane, in the Mayfair area; it was small but beautiful. Because going once just wasn’t enough for me, I went to 2 other locations: Brompton Road in South Kensington, and the EL&N X L’Occitane* pop-up shop on Regent Street.

See an exhibit at a museum

I didn’t go to any museums last time so I vowed to go to one this time around – most are free, anyway. Now, I’m not going to lie – I’m not the most avid museum-goer or lover. But I do enjoy learning, so I figured the Natural History Museum was a good place for that.

Not long after getting there, I stumbled upon an exhibit called Wildlife Photographer of the Year that looked very intriguing so I decided to check it out.

I wasn’t prepared to be so mind-blown. It was phenomenal! The exhibit was so beautifully displayed, and the images were absolutely stunning. Accompanying each image was a description of its contents along with a background story of how the photo came about. Each story was different and described the photographer’s struggle. The saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but each shot rendered me speechless. That exhibit was so inspiring, and it truly impacted me. It’s amazing how much power a single photograph can have on you, regardless of its simplicity.

Pictures weren’t allowed in the exhibit, hence the lack of photos in this post. But I did buy postcards of my favorite images.

I got to see my beloved London again, but more importantly, this trip set a foundation for my future travels. I learned that having an itinerary is essential, but one should always leave room for unplanned wandering. Interacting with locals is such a blessing, you just never know what you’ll learn from them, or how you’re connected. Take your hobby with you – whatever you enjoy doing in your free time at home, do it on your trip. It’ll make both the trip and your hobby all the more enjoyable and memorable.

*The EL&N X L’Occitane pop-up shop closed in March 2020.