7 Favorite London Moments
7. The Tate Modern. It's a statement in itself. I especially will never forget getting that little tap on the shoulder after taking a photograph of a piece of artwork.
6. Pro Bumble and Bumble Salon haircut at Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow Clubhouse. And it was complimentary! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to flying coach.
5. Getting mistaken for a local while taking a late afternoon walk in Hyde Park.
“Excuse me… do you know where the nearest tube station is?”
me - blank stare followed by a slight slight smile
In my heavy American accent, “Sorry, I’m not from here.”
them - disgruntled look
4. The alcohol - Sipping champagne in my comfy Virgin Atlantic upper class seat. I never felt more relaxed before take-off. Getting tipsy on white wine at Albannach on my last night. London turned me into a huge wine lover. *I can't complain about most of the food either. The filet mignon at The Savoy was delicious. Who knew medium rare tasted that amazing!
3. Shaking hands with our U.S. and International Chairman. In fact meeting all the leaders and seeing our new partners wild out on the dance floor demanding an encore from the band was pretty awesome.
2. Watching the sun set behind the Tower of London and Palace of Westminster, while riding the London Eye. Absolutely breathtaking.
1. Developing some ultra cool independence and confidence. After having some solo meals, I learned that it is important to enjoy your own company, that I can have fun with… “me! And just me!”. In fact, I felt kind of sexy at times; sipping wine, eating my meal, writing in my little black Moleskin, and finishing up that crossword puzzle (ok nix the crossword puzzle – that’s not so sexy). I redefined my solo meal, transforming my identity and pretended to be a food critic, sampling the cuisine, or as a secret agent, trying to pass off my journal scribbling as documenting some top-secret notes. *An extra bonus – Scoping out and flirting with the hot waiters, especially at Carluccio’s!
And of course, there were some sour grapes along the way.
6 Not So Favorite London Moments
6. Asking strangers to take my picture for me at London landmarks. I wish I took a friend with me! A friend whose camera skills I trust. Some people off the street just don’t understand the idea of composition!
5. Burning out my two hair straighteners. I could not achieve perfection for two whole days, but my free haircut at the Virgin Lounge totally made up for it.
4. Eating my money. In the U.S., a nice dinner at a decent restaurant is $30. In London, a nice dinner at a decent restaurant is £30. £30 = $60. My paycheck is still swimming in my stomach, next to all the wine I gulped down. Although, the duck wrap with hoisin sauce was totally worth the money.
3. Feeling a little left out from the rest of the group. Most of the people there already knew one another as they are part of the same department and see each other at most international meetings. I was a newbie. I was an outsider. And only five people (you know who you are because you rock!) made an attempt in trying to make me feel welcome. Case and point? End of meeting secret party at _’s hotel suite. I was sitting RIGHT NEXT to two people who were talking about it and they failed to throw out an invite. As Jay Z would say:
You gotta take that dirt off your shoulder.
2. The awkwardness of eating dinner by myself. Having lunch solo was not too bad, but having dinner solo was an absolute horrible experience. The atmosphere is so different at night, because you’re surrounded by couples and groups of friends. It was just awkward sitting at a table, staring into the empty seat next to me. But I turned the tables around (please see #1 above).
1. Dragging my three pieces of luggage up 8 sets (4 floors) of stairs! After staying in the luxurious Marriott Park Lane, I moved to a hotel within my budget since I stayed a few extra days after the business meeting was over. Saying that I dearly missed my £200 Marriott hotel room is a pure understatement. No lift, no bellboy, no fun... especially the day I was in heels!
