"We travel, some of us forever" (Anais Nin)
Well, I didn't travel forever, just for five days, but let me tell you - four days on my own, no kids, no husband, just my best friend and I – in "Mommy years" it feels like forever:)
I just turned forty a couple of months ago (no midlife crisis yet, just a lot of soul searching) I have been a wife for ten years and a mother for seven. The kids brought so much joy to my life and so many blessings, but they also brought a lottttt of work and not much free time:)
you know what I'm talking about right?
Traveling
In my twenties, before getting married, I traveled back and forth, lived in different places for long periods of time, alone and independent. I loved it, coming to a new place on my own and finding my way.
Once I had my own family, I became a part of a unit, the spontaneity of deciding to go somewhere and just be in the moment, was gone. Instead I became an organizer, meticulously planning family trips that are right for families with young children, making sure all of their physical and emotional needs are taken care of. Don't get me wrong - family trips are great, and when planned right, they are so much fun! (there will be a post about that too) but I sort of lost track a little bit, of the wanderer I loved being.
Off to London
For my fortieth birthday my thoughtful husband bought me a trip to London, just for me, he was to stay home and take care of the kids. My best friend joined me and we had a ladies only trip, no planning ahead (other than booking flights and hotel), no schedule, just enjoy the energy, beauty and freedom to choose for ourselves where to go, when and for how long. No Disney stores, no dinosaurs or tea cups carousels, Just us doing what WE want.
So off we went:) London in December is beautiful, all decked out with lights and holiday season decorations.
We woke up on our first day there, in our elegant hotel room (fantastically cute hotel (Melia white house), no alarm clock, just woke up on our own. We had a cup of coffee in peace and quiet, no frantic morning routine, it was such a break from reality. We hit the wintry stree and just loved every second of it. We walked for hours just wandering around, no one destination in mind, finding sweet corners of the city that made us stop and enjoy them.
These little things
This is going to sound silly but it was the little things that had us stopping and to take picture.
The flowers booths with sweet colors, an ice cream shop that looked like a painting, random but pretty streets. It all made me so happy.
I'm just a girl, standing in front of...
We spent the second day at Notting hill walking around Portobello road.
As a huge fan of the movie (yes, I can completely do the dialog in full while watching it) it was especially fun.
There are small antic shop all up and down the road, where you can find gems that will make your heart melt. I especially loved "Alice's", where you can find everything old, whether it's a boat wheel, teapots, or kid's antic toys (my favorite!) the small shop
is like a treasure box.
The whole experience of the market is pure fun, the Christmas booth, the hat shops, the colorful shops and houses, I could spend a whole week just roaming the streets there.
"I shall never be sorry I was left over in Camden."(Walt Whitman)
Our last day in London was spent in Camden town. When you step out of the underground
station into Camden town streets, you feel like you have arrived in an entirely different city. The feel and vibe is louder, noisier, more rugged and less refined. That is where you find alternative fashion, cheap accessories, and second hand shops.
The best part of the area is the Camden Market that is located within what used to be horse stables.
Wandering around the market alleys is a truly fun and interesting experience thanks to an interesting mix of quirky stores. There are vintage inspired fashion stores like The Collectif, Period costumes shops like the Tainted Prince that is something between a costume shop and a Gothic fashion store, second hand books and much more.
Austentatious
For our final chord, we wanted to do something we will never do in other circumstances. Something my friend and I could share and create a memory that was unique and just ours.
As we are both OBSESSED with Jane Austen, period British movies and TV shows, historical romance and anything Victorian, we wanted something that related to that. We found this interesting photography studio where you can choose period costumes, have your makeup
done, and then have a photo shoot with props and features. I hate having my picture taken, but this was fun, something I would only do with my BFF and we loved every second of it.
It was an unforgettable way to end our trip. Thanks to that photo-shoot I also developed a tremendous appreciation for current day fashion, let me tell you, corsets and crinolines? make sitting a not so comfortable thing...
Home again
I was excited to come home and meet the hubby and the kids who i worried all week about leaving and how they were handling my absence. I was gritted at the door by my oldest who flew excitedly into my arm, grabbed the shopping bags I was carrying and yelled Giftsssss!
It's nice to be missed:)
As per usual, I will sign off with the wise words of my favorite lady:
“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.”
Jane Austen