Week 7 - Solo Trip to London!

Monday, July 8 

I thought I had an 11 AM meeting at the Gaiety but it turned out that everyone else who would have been in the meeting wasn’t in the office that day. I had a bit of time by myself at work for the morning, before I needed to head over to a different building to cover lunch for a coworker. I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon at that camp, helping with auditions. This camp is Disney’s Greatest Hits. They’re doing lots of different songs from different movies like Moana, Tangled, The Lion King, etc. That afternoon, I went back to the Gaiety to grab my things and ran into a friend, and we ended up going out for a drink. We went to a pub that was different from any other I’d been to. I don’t remember what it was called but it was quieter than the rest and had some traditional Irish music playing, not the tourist stuff they play at the more popular pubs (like Temple Bar). 

Tuesday, July 9 

Tuesday morning, it was pouring in Dublin. I thought the rain wasn’t that bad, (and I don’t have an umbrella), so I decided to just brave the weather. That was a huge mistake. I was absolutely soaked by the time I got to work. The sweater I was wearing that morning didn’t dry out until Wednesday morning. My hair was dripping wet. I was so cold, and everyone else at the school had been prepared for the weather, so I was the only one soaked. I was pretty embarrassed. 

At work, I was given the assignment of photographing the camps for social media and for parents. It’s a bit of a challenging assignment because some of the kids have parental consent for photography and some don’t. It was a bit of a struggle at first to figure out which kids I need to keep out of the photos, because I don’t know all their names. But I get to sit in for a bit on all the camps, which is always enjoyable. I was in every camp on Tuesday for about 10-20 minutes to grab some photos. 

That evening, I went for pizza with another friend from the Gaiety. We went to a local spot near the school. When I was ordering, I misunderstood the menu and ordered a pizza that didn’t have cheese on it. So it wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had but it was still good. I want to try that spot again. I went home that evening tired but ready for the rest of the week. I’m really looking forward to my trip to London this weekend!! 

Wednesday, July 10 

The weather was a little better on Wednesday. Instead of pouring, it was misty and sprinkling a bit. This type of weather I’m used to in Missouri. I still needed to get more photos to put into the collages, so I found myself running between the three buildings most of the day. I ended up with a few pretty good photos though, so it was worth it. After work, I grabbed some groceries and went back to the apartment for a bit before heading to class. I really enjoyed class this week. We talked a lot about women in Irish society and suffragettes in Ireland. After class, I just went back to the apartment, and packed for my weekend in London! It’s my first real solo trip, and I’m so excited but a little nervous to be all alone on another island for four days. 

Thursday, July 11 

I’m always an anxious flyer, so I got to the airport super early for my flight. It was delayed about an hour, but besides that, I got to London with no problems! But, when I left the airport, I couldn’t find a taxi. This is where I made a huge mistake. I took the first taxi I could find, without asking what they would charge or if they took card. After the extra long drive from the airport to my hostel, the driver told me he needed 160 pounds cash! I obviously didn’t have that much, so I had to withdraw from a sketchy ATM. Between the conversion and the withdrawal fee, I paid 240 USD for a 1hr30 taxi ride. I was so mad at myself. I’m also now worried about fraud on my card, but I’ve changed my PIN so hopefully all will be okay. 

But I tried to move on and have a good evening anyways. I had had other things planned for the afternoon, but between my flight delay and the taxi ride being longer than I thought, I didn’t have much time in my afternoon. I grabbed dinner close to the city center and went to see Moulin Rouge. I’ve got tickets to see two shows on the West End, as well as one at Shakespeare’s Globe. They were absolutely the highlight of this weekend. My seat at Moulin Rouge was cheaper because the view was obstructed by the sound booth. I didn’t mind at all. The show was great! I loved the costumes and lighting especially. After the show, I went back to my hostel (in the rain!) and went straight to bed. 

Friday, July 12 

I woke up early on Friday morning to do a walk around London. I saw Trafalgar square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster bridge, Big Ben, and more. I’ve been to London before, so I didn’t feel the need to book a long tour or spend a ton of time seeing things I’ve seen before. I went over to Kew Gardens that afternoon. I saw lots of beautiful flowers and greenery I never have before, and I even got to do the treetop walkway! It was so fun. But they were closing early because of a concert they had that evening, so I had to leave. It worked out though, because I needed to get a portable charger. My phone dies so quickly on the international plan. That, combined with the endless photo-taking and google-mapping, my phone was always about dead by the late afternoon, if not even lunchtime. I bought a portable charger and headed back to the city center to grab dinner and go to Shakespeare’s Globe. The best (and cheapest) seats there are standing room, and I got up right by the front. It was my first time seeing a Shakespeare show. It was Richard III playing that night. I’m really glad I went; it was so good! They gender-bent some of the cast, which I thought was interesting, but it worked for the most part. 

Saturday, July 13 

I was up early again on Saturday morning to head to Borough Market. I had seen videos of those chocolate covered strawberries, and I decided I needed some. I thought the market was going to be more like a farmer’s market (like St. Anne’s from a few weeks ago), but all they sold was local food, like dairy, meat, jams, honey and more. I wasn’t there very long. I went to the V&A Museum to meet my roommate who was in London for the day. We spent awhile there, just exploring it, and having lunch at their adorable (overpriced) cafe. The museum is huge! That afternoon, I went to Parliament Hill. My British coworker at the Gaiety had recommended it. It was a good view, but not much to do there. On the way there, I saw Camden Market, and decided to stop by after I was done at Parliament Hill. I spent several hours there, just exploring. I got new earrings, and a patchwork Carhartt jacket. I had dinner there, before heading to the Lyric Theatre to see Hadestown. I’ve seen it twice before. The tour came through Omaha a few years ago, and my family and I had had season passes. I wasn’t expecting much of it the first time I went, but it was so good I went back a second time. It’s one of my top two favorite shows, so I knew I had to see it when I went to London. It was my absolute favorite part of the weekend. 

Sunday, July 14 

By Sunday, I was overtired and ready to head back to Dublin. I caught my taxi (only 94 pounds this time!), but again got to the airport super early. I waited for my flight, which luckily wasn’t delayed this time, grabbed lunch at the airport, and flew back to Dublin. Back at the apartment, I finally got a good shower in, did laundry, and went to bed early for work tomorrow morning.