All my life I had been sheltered by my parents, never was I allowed to step out without my brother or my dad. I always had to be around someone or the other. People may call it being spoilt but I call it being guarded by my family. But then as time passed, I craved to do things on my own. I finally got this opportunity when I applied for my Masters in one of the top universities in the United Kingdom.
As I filled the forms and met representatives, I could feel my parents’ fear but, to my surprise, they never actually tried to stop me from going.
When I got accepted to The University of Manchester my happiness knew no bounds and my family rejoiced as well. In fact, they were very supportive of my decision. I suppose it’s because your family wants you to grow too – even if the growing up process is kind of scary!
After spending almost a year in Manchester, I moved back to India where I started working.
Last month, about a year and a half since I moved back, I got an opportunity to visit the UK again and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Here is a little itinerary of my trip to London and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed reminiscing my good old college days.
My trip began with a stay at Holiday Inn, Wembley which has amazing restaurants all around it. Considering the fact that I am a big foodie, I had already explored every nook and corner but it was a pleasure to visit them again.
The second day was, however, the best because I got to witness the India vs Sri Lanka match at The Oval. We were served breakfast and lunch with tea, coffee and refreshments all day at the lounge. Just to make you a little jealous – I also interacted with the families of many of the players. However, when India lost to Sri Lanka, I was extremely disappointed and went back to the hotel to eat away the misery. Mexican dinner with cocktails at Las Iguanas, Wembley made me forget about India’s loss (well, temporarily at least). The grilled chicken burrito and cheese and salsa fries definitely took my mind off Virat Kohli’s wicket!
My official London tour began right after this. I visited the Buckingham Palace and then we visited the Westminster Abbey, which is by far the prettiest church I have ever been to. Post all the walking and sight-seeing, we stopped for a quick meal at Wagamama, Marble Arch. The rest of the evening was spent shopping at Oxford Street where I got amazing gifts for all my friends and family back home.
When it was my final day in London, just like every other tourist, I stopped by at the London Eye. I had to wait in a queue for 30 minutes but when I finally got into the capsule, it was totally worth it! The view was breathtaking. We later took a 40 minutes cruise of the Thames River, after which we had lunch at Cafe Vergnano at South Bank (just beside the river). After a heavy meal, we visited the Tower of London to see the Kohinoor diamond, amongst many other treasures. I couldn’t have been more proud to be an Indian in that moment. Just saying!
Finally, we stood near the Tower Bridge where I took at least a million pictures.
While I was at it, I had to let my inner Potter fan feel special which is why I went to Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station. I can honestly say that I have never been happier than that in my life!
My London journey came to an end but this was the place where it all started for me – my independent life and everything awesome that came after! I wish to go back there sometime soon but I’d like to thank OPPO for this amazing experience. I will cherish this for the rest of my life!
*This is a sponsored post for OPPO
