I hadn’t been to London in a while, and before this trip, I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive. Maybe it was everything I kept seeing on social media and the news—knife crime, pickpockets, rising crime, etc.
But I guess that’s one of the reasons we travel, right? To go somewhere and experience it for ourselves instead of forming an opinion based on what we see online.
And I’m so glad we went.
London was busy, chaotic at times, and yes, some areas weren’t exactly the cleanest—but not once did I feel unsafe.
There really is no place quite like London. The history, the diversity, the endless food options, the architecture, the museums, the energy… there is always something happening.
One of my favorite little memories was being in a pub at night and hearing everyone just start singing together. There was something so simple and lovely about it.
And the people! We’ve traveled to quite a few places around the world, and honestly, the people we met in London and throughout England were some of the kindest. At one point, a complete stranger saw me struggling with my luggage on one of those countless staircases and simply picked it up and helped me carry it. No reason, no expectation—just kindness. And moments like that happened throughout our trip.
We were traveling as a family with a young child, and our experience was overwhelmingly positive.
It reminded me of one of my favorite things about traveling: you get to experience humanity outside of headlines and social media. You meet ordinary people just living their lives, and more often than not, you find kindness.
London has so much history, culture, food, and life that I don’t think you could ever truly run out of things to do.
London, you were lovely. Already can’t wait to go back.