Anxiety. Fear. Excitement. Ambivalence. Freedom. Escape. These words came to mind first after taking off from Philadelphia. The first few hours of the plane ride were turbulent, swaying left then right, then left again, without interruption. Like me, the plane seemed to be feeling a bit unsettled at the start. But the destination for us both had been set - London!
By the time I arrived the turbulence was long gone and I was feeling different too. Within an hour, I had crossed the UK border and made my way into Zone 1 of the city through the Underground to Piccadilly Circus. I had no maps with me and no plans in mind. A part of me wished I had done a little research beforehand to maximize my time there, but a bigger part of me was glad I did not. The adventure is not knowing what will happen next or what you might find. Lo and behold, in the first 15 minutes of walking, I already stumbled upon the first boon of my poor planning…M&M World! Who knew they had enough paraphanalia to fill up five floors? - completely insane. 
For the next several hours I walked along the Thames, ate a Vegetable Tikka Masala Wrap from Pret A Manger (the London equivalent of Cosi) in Trafalgar Square, walked on the not-so-architecturally-impressive London Bridge, met Big Ben, scoffed at the idea of paying 30 pounds for a tour of Westminster Abbey, saw the London Eye and Tower Bridge, and enjoyed an ice cold Kronenbourg at Coach and Horses (quaint local pub near Oxford Circus). All in all a successful impromptu trip.
I left London reinvigorated, ready to explore and have a lot more adventures in Africa. Not surprisingly, this next flight to Johannesburg was much smoother. Cheers to beginnings - Mosomolodi!
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