Trip of a Lifetime x2
This past summer I went on two incredible adventures. More than the actual places I went, these trips were journeys of the soul. I stepped outside of my comfort zone in all ways and the rewards will last me for the rest of my life. I know how that sounds but I’m serious. Let me explain.
Trip 1: London
If you’ve been reading, you know that I’ve been to London several times and lived there after college. This trip wasn’t about seeing London, in fact it was only about 36 hours and its whole purpose was to attend a concert… the SPICE GIRLS FINAL SHOW AT WEMBLEY. (Yes, those caps were necessary.) I was a HUGE Spice fan and had always wanted to see them perform. When they did their 2008 reunion tour, I was studying abroad in Stockholm; it was tragic. Over the years as rumors swirled that they’d reunite again, one of my best friends and I decided that if they did, we would go, regardless of where in the world they were performing. Fast forward to the announcement that they would be doing a short tour during summer 2019, ending with a three night stint in London. It wasn’t even a question.
I have never travelled solo or even without a member of my immediate family so this trip was a pretty big step. My bff is practically part of my family at this point, often joining us for shows, dinners, etc. but still, I was a little nervous. I’m not always a picnic and at the end of the day, my family will still be there, but what if I was so annoying that we killed our friendship? Part of me knew this wouldn’t happen, but still, the thought was there. Spoiler alert: I truly believe we’re stuck together for life 😊The weekend was incredible. From seeing Dior: Designer of Dreams at the V&A, to having my favorite Otto Lenghi, and then going to the most epic concert I’ve ever been to, I couldn’t have imagined a more fun weekend.
The concert was every thing I’d hoped for. We had incredible seats in the “Spice Circle” and it was more or less an hours-long dance party with 70,000 people singing along to all of the hits. Did the girls sing live? Probably not. (Definitely not?) Did I scream, “Oh my god, they’re right there!” as they started rising up from the stage, a mere matter of feet in front of me? Hell yes! It was a night of being 11 years old again, surrounded by people my exact age from all over the world, who just wanted to have fun and for a bit, travel back to the past… and eat all the Chupa Chups!
“V doesn’t come for free- Where is she?!” 😜
If you ever have the opportunity to do a crazy, once-in-a-lifetime trip with your bff, GO! You will never regret it and FWIW, London can be done in a weekend sans jet lag.
Trip 2: Portugal
For a couple of years now I’ve toyed with doing one of Surf Yoga Beer’s trips. Amazing locations: Check. Fun and fitness: Check. Would it be The Real World? This is where I hesitated. I’m always down to try surfing, yoga less so but I’ll do it, but beer- how much are we talking about? Is there wine? Can I not drink?
Then the 2019 summer lineup of trips came out and included a destination that has been high on my list for years: Portugal. What was the three word phrase for this trip? Bike Castle Wine. Cue angels singing. Biking is my jam (at least indoors). Wine- my prayers were answered! Castle- who says no to a castle?
Once upon a time in Portugal…
A good friend and I had long-talked about the possibility of doing SYB or just traveling together and as luck would have it, both she and I were free during the dates of this trip. In true to us fashion, we both consulted our parents, who more or less told us we’d be insane not to go. Before I knew it, I was set for a second trip sans family this summer.
I could talk about this trip for the rest of my life. I met 40 incredible souls (we were the biggest trip ever), met people who are the type of friends you can reach out to any time of day, and challenged myself to say yes and let go. Was everything seamless? No. Did I have not one, not two, but THREE falls biking (my bike weighed about 40 pounds and knocked me over while I got off of it on a hill… three times) which led to gravel in my hands and some stunning bruises? Yes. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat (minus the bike falls). I can’t imagine my life without my castle crew. It’s not easy to make true friendships as an adult, this trip gave me that. This trip pushed me to just be in the moment and live, to fight past anything I thought was a limitation, and I came away lighter and better.
Did you travel in 2019? What is your most memorable trip?