In Love with London

Despite starting off my trip as a hot mess of jet lag and scrapes & bruises from hauling ~150 pounds of luggage around with me, my week in London truly felt like a dream. Suffice it to say, I have fallen madly in love with London. I will even go as far as to say that it is in my Top 5 favorite cities in Europe. Perhaps I'm just nostalgic for a city where everyone speaks English, but I'm already dying to go back.

Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

The city itself is stunning. Every corner you turn is filled with incredible architecture and beautiful sights. The enthralling history emanates from the people and culture, enriching one's experience of the city. One cannot cross the Westminster Bridge and not be profoundly moved by the breathtaking view of Big Ben & Parliament asserting a regal presence over the bustling city. From the red coat pageantry of the changing of the guards to tea time at Harrods, soaring up the London Eye and delving into medieval times at the Tower of London, this city embraces an elegant juxtaposition between a glorious past and a colorful present.

Picadilly Circus

Tower Bridge, often confused as "London Bridge"

The people are passionate about their history, their queen and their traditions. This makes for an even more fulfilling experience as a foreigner, for the people's love for Britain is contagious. It's hard to wrap my head around the fact that so many important historical events happened in the exact spots that I stood in. Time certainly hasn't stood still here either. London pulses to the rhythm of a vibrant energy, intoxicating all who are lucky enough to pass through this magnificent metropolis.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Tower of London

Massive crowds watching the changing of the guards

Before I even left, I was thinking to myself about how excited I am to come back someday. It may be in a few years, it may be in a few months. Either way, I feel an inexplicable pull towards this city - an insatiable hunger to keep coming back and experience all that London has to offer.

St. Paul's and the Millennium Bridge

View of the city from the London Eye

London: My Week As a Vegetarian

A delicious quinoa and veggie dish from Le Pain Quotidien

It only took one pub meal and one English breakfast for me to realize that the meat in the UK really, really freaks me out. I've always flirted with the idea of becoming a vegetarian - I'm no passionate carnivore, but I'm certainly no ardent animal rights activist either. Meat is something I can easily limit to one serving a day, but let's be honest, homegirl still loves her bacon.

That said, British mystery meat terrifies me. (I'm getting grossed out just writing about it.) The taste, the texture, the subsequent stomach ache... it's all disgusting if you ask me (and certainly a far cry from my beloved organic/hormone free/happy/free range chicken and beef from Whole Foods). I had such high hopes for bangers & mash at authentic English pubs... but all I got was disappointment.

Nevertheless, I decided to be a vegetarian during my week in London to further avoid these strange substances that the British call "meat". Thankfully, London is incredibly veg-friendly and has a plethora of delicious health food options. As much as I usually like to "sightsee with my tastebuds" and eat like the locals do, this time around I stuck to places I knew I wouldn't get sick from gluten or bombarded by mystery meat. Some of my favorite places to get affordable healthy meals were Le Pain Quotidien, Pret a Manger and Food for Thought.

The Pros of Being a Vegetarian in London:

- Everything I ate was healthy and delicious

- It was much easier to get my daily serving of vegetables (and then some)

- It's fairly easy to find quinoa, eggs and other sources of protein

- I was always full after meals, but never once did I have a food baby

- Common sense: eating less meat is a lot better for you!!

The Cons of Being a Vegetarian in London:

- I didn't have as much energy (but then again, that was probably the jet lag)

- It was hard to find tasty, affordable breakfast food

- At times I had a guilty conscious that I wasn't eating just like the Brits do and was thus having a less authentic London experience (I call this "food FOMO")

With all that said, for me being a vegetarian certainly isn't sustainable in places where it's harder to find gluten free food, which will probably be the case as I travel to different places around Europe. But overall it was a positive experience, so we'll see if I try it again!

Until then, I'll be indulging on delicious jamón ibérico and chicken paella in Madrid. And a major shout out to all my Celiac/gluten intolerant vegetarian friends... I really don't know how you do it all the time.

¡Hola Madrid!

Hola todos! I know it's been a while... but I thought I should check in to let you all know that I'm alive and finally made it to Madrid! And suffice it to say, I absolutely love it here.

Since arriving on Sunday, my first several days here in Spain have been a whirlwind of apartment hunting, setting up private English classes, signing up for Spanish classes, eating as much tapas as possible and drinking lots of sangria to ease the stress of finding a place to live. (Seriously, as if apartment hunting in itself wasn't bad enough, having to do it in a foreign language is downright impossible.)

To be honest, I haven't had much time to sightsee or explore much - naturally, avoiding homelessness has been my priority. Once I find an apartment and move in, I'm hoping to play tourist for several days before I start my job and get to know my new home much better. But from what I've seen thus far, Madrid is ridiculously gorgeous. I'm already quite infatuated with this city.

Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to besides apartment hunting:

First lunch in Spain: paella and sangria (an obvious choice). I'm a happy girl.

Plaza Mayor

Literally, every single building I pass by is insanely beautiful.

Catedral de Santa María la Real de Almudena

I can already feel that this city is a good fit for me. Thus far I've done a really great job of acclimating to the culture (and by culture I actually mean drinking tinto de verano/sangria/Rioja wine, eating jamón ibérico, dancing until the sun rises and taking siestas every day).

I'm hoping to come back with more updates once I find the apartment of my dreams (please, send good vibes into the universe for me) and have explored more of Madrid! Until then, hasta pronto, mis amigos.