Here below are my notes on the last couple of days that I spent on my September trip…
September 16th: Woke in my hotel room in London feeling a little melancholy as it was my last full day of the trip. I’d be flying back home the next day. So I wanted to make sure I made the best of it.
As it happens, London Design Week was happening, headquartered at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and I wanted to have a look-see, get inspired and maybe take a few photos for both IG and work.
It was another glorious day weather-wise in London and I almost didn’t want to spend my time indoors, so I spent most of my just popping into the tube station and then out to walk as much as I could until I got to the museum. There were actually exhibits both inside and outside in the courtyards, so I was able to move in and out and soak up that warm sunshine and then pop back in for more inspirational goodness! Saw several different exhibits within this one visit. In fact, I got to the point where I was just trying to fit so much in and some things were getting lost.
[In fact, flash forward to today - I was going back over some of my photos for a report that I’m creating for work, and I found a whole bunch of super interesting photos and concepts that I’d forgotten about.]
And then it was time to head back to the hotel to start getting ready for the trek to Heathrow so I could hop over to Paris for my last night of the trip. That’s when things REALLY started to get melancholy and also that funny kind of stressful when you realize that there are a million gyrations you have to make to start your journey home. You know?
Took my time walking to the tube station as the sun felt so wonderful. I actually thought about walking back to the hotel, but it would have taken too long (and I wanted to eat before I left for Heathrow), so back in the tube I went and came out on the other side at a Mediterranean Hookah Lounge/Restaurant where I sat outside on the patio amongst the hookah smokers and ordered the most delicious lamb and greek salad and, of course, a glass of champagne to wash the whole thing down.
Also reviewed the directions to the best tube station to catch the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. It would be a mile walk to the tube and an hour ride to Heathrow, so after my late lunch I headed back to the hotel to grab my bags and start the trek to the airport.
I loved the walk to the underground - it was through the cutest little neighborhood. Again, another great reason to pack light - it was a good half hour walk with my bags in tow.
Once on the tube, the only thing abnormal was that there was some construction (I suppose) on some of the tracks, so we all had to de-board before we got to the airport and wait for another train that seemed like it was on the exact same track. But then what do I know? Just glad that happened while I was in an English-speaking country!
And once checked in at Heathrow, I discovered that I had a couple of free hours with NO VIP lounge to hang out in (first world problems, I know, but I was flying economy-class on Air France back to Paris…). So I found a place to hang - a super cute airport bar that was nearly vacant!
…but not for long.
I soon found myself in the midst of something of an Indian bachelor party at the airport bar! It was actually a group of middle-aged Indian guys (my age, heh) who were taking a guy’s trip to Punjab. They were from all over: London, New York, Delhi. Los Angeles - those were the cities I heard called out when I asked where they were from. They take a guys trip every year at the same time to a different location in the world. And I just LOVED these guys! We were having such fun times…they invited me to have a couple of drinks with them and then it was time for me to go because I discovered that my plane was boarding and I had to get to the other side of the airport!
So they told the bartender to put everything on them (so nice!) and I headed to the plane…and I barely made it! Hah.
Paris was a quick hop across the channel. Arrived to Charles de Gaulle without incident and took the airport train to the hotel on the other side of the terminals. I had a morning flight the next day so there was no sense in heading back into the city since it was already approaching midnight by the time I checked into the hotel.
The hotel was pretty cool and very high tech (they had kiosks where you could check yourself in and pay with your iPhone) and even though I was very tired, I was also hungry (again!) and wasn’t ready to call it a trip! After throwing my bags in my room I went back downstairs to the bar and ordered a curry and some champagne and people watched. I eavesdropped on some Canadians who were there on business and I made eye contact with some HOT guy across the bar and he made me think of The Scot from Tinder…
So I sent him a message. It was a simple one-liner, simply saying, “I miss you…”
And it was ON.
He immediately messaged back saying something like he was thinking the same thing. This simple message started a flurry of texts that hasn’t stopped since then. Yes, I’ve been texting and FaceTime-ing with The Scot for a month now….more on this later. MUCH more!
It was well after midnight at that point. I needed to rest my weary head and it would be up early to get to the airport - even though I was essentially AT the airport.
I happened to get on the elevator with HOT FRENCH GUY that I’d been making eyes with from across the bar. Unfortunately, it was absolutely awkward at that point. He tried to talk with me, but I was staying on the second floor, so the talk time was absolutely minimum and it was weird. I said goodnight and walked away.
Into my room where everything was controlled by an ipad. Unfortunately, said ipad wasn’t working properly and I somehow froze it up and it was set in some kind of casing where I couldn’t reboot the damn thing. I love technology as much as the next guy, but I’ll be damned if there was no way to turn on the TV or close the blinds or figure out how to dim the lights!!
I was too tired to call someone downstairs…PLUS everything was done downstairs using a do-it-yourself method, so I didn’t even know if there was a human who’d do anything anyway. I somehow figured out how to switch off the lights and fell into a deep slumber.
September 17th: Last day of trip. All that was left was to pack my stuff, check out of the hotel and get my ass home. Check-in at CDG was uneventful and I was through security in no time so I had a couple of hours in the lounge before flying. Spent a good portion of that time texting The Scot and reviewing all of the photos I took and just re-living the amazing time I’d just had. Oh, and drinking a couple of mimosas. Really wanted to get some sleep on the plane.
Don’t remember a whole lot about the plane ride home. And no, I wasn’t drunk. I think I was just deliriously happy that it had been such a wonderful and fulfilling trip. My flight attendant was super sweet - he was an older gentleman who kept coming by to make sure I was okay. I was trying to tell him that I’d had the best trip EVER, and he took that to mean that the flight was the best flight EVER, which is fine with me because then I got extra-premium service!
And that made the plane ride home something special. It was so funny because after we landed and right before I got off the plane, my flight attendant HUGGED ME! I mean, talk about the best ending to a trip…when your FA hugs you, you KNOW it was better than great!
Okay, I know I’m still kind of teasing you about The Scot. I’ll tell you all about him in the next installment. I will tell you right now, it’s pretty intense.
Until later…
xox,
GS
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