In life we have our goals and dreams, some big and some small. And then there are those that are rooted so deep into our soul you just know you will obtain them. For me, travelling to England has been rooted within me for about five years now. Originally, I remember at 13 my cliché dream was to be a photographer for Teen Vogue and travel to Paris. This led to a whole three years of my room reflecting everything French and buying the Teen Vogue Handbook which I studied religiously along with the many photography classes I took.
Growing up, naturally you learn more about the world and what it has to offer. I never regret where I am today, but I hate to say that the reality of becoming a Teen Vogue photographer seemed farther and farther away year by year. Then I took on the passion of travelling with more broad locations and photography became what I thought it never would, just a hobby. However, 16 year old me found that writing was just as loved as photography so I launched my blog shortly after my 17th birthday and always kept a photography presence in my journalism. Influencers such as Zoella, Lucy Moon, and dodie taught me so much about being a creator. As they all were from the UK, I gained a glimpse into what it was like and with that tiny little glimpse, I fell in love with the culture and knew I had to go knowing there was something for me there.
Well, in May of 2018 that dream came true! The plan would be to go to England for five days with my Aunt on a business trip. The moment she told me I was beyond excited and when I told the news to my mom, I couldn’t stop ugly crying! I think most of my family knew that once I went there, I wouldn’t want to come back. If it weren’t for missing my family, I probably wouldn’t have!
Leicester
While in England, I spent most of my time in Leicester, which is approximately 2 hours North of London. When I came back home many people asked me if it was what I expected. Well, I expected gorgeous red brick architecture, people walking everywhere, large round-a-bouts, driving on the left side of the road rules (it’s madness by the way), and an amazing cup of tea after fish and chips. What I didn’t expect was the flourishing nature of flower beds, vines, and maple trees running free, the diversity of the people, the amount of independent businesses, and the mass popularity of smoking cigarettes to name just a few.
Leicester is such a beautiful city. With the history of King Richard the third intertwined into modern day life, it is the perfect balance. I was lucky enough to see the Guildhall, the original town hall of Leicester, which was used from 1496 to 1906. St. Martins Cathedral was such a sight in the midst of the modern shops and cafes within the popular hang out spot, Leicester Square. In my mind, it is the perfect date setting. Leicester’s oldest pub dating back to 1849 also takes place within the lanes of Leicester Square. To say the least, this was my favorite place. I loved walking the beautiful lanes admiring the architecture and exploring the shops and cafes. It was also very pleasant to see mini grass gardens and stone hedges to sit on and people watch as you rest in sun. For the entire trip we were surprisingly blessed with gorgeous sunny 70 degree F weather!
As far as cuisine goes, I paid a visit to Nandos to see what all the hype was about. The verdict? Niall Horan has every right to be obsessed with their food and I will miss it very much. However, I think the traditional pasty ranked a personal favorite. Another refreshing aspect of England is I loved how the youths wore what they wanted and expressed their love for fashion. In Florida, skinny jeans or a cute romper is about as trendy as it gets. It was so liberating dressing how I wanted there without the fear of sticking out as the black sheep. Not to mention London! But I suppose that confidence and sticking out is something I should work on here.
I never expected to see so many Indians and Africans among the English. It was in this place that I truly understood what diversity is. The fear that someone is different than you are in more ways than just your skin color and also the unity we all feel together in one country. My Aunt has connections with a Christian African church here in Leicester which My Aunt was invited to share a message and I tagged along. In the beginning, I was very unsure. I was worried I would feel uncomfortable and out of place. But every person was so incredibly kind and full of spirit. The music forced you to dance and sing, you couldn’t help it. The joy was contagious and it was in this moment I realized that a piece of my heart had planted itself here. It was painful but welcoming all at once. These people I would miss and this post wouldn’t be complete without them.
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St. Martins Cathedral
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Leicester Square
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Leicester’s Oldest Pub
The Royal Wedding
Unity. The state of being or joined as a whole. I think this word had a strong presence on May 19th, the day of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In 2011, my mom and I woke up at an ungodly hour to watch the broadcast of William and Kate’s wedding. I was 12 at the time and remember being in awe of the big church, dress, and how many celebrities attended. In this wedding at 19, I was in awe of the political changes that were being made and the unity of races. For the first time in history, a woman of color was entering into Britain royalty. For the first time in history, a woman to be royal walked herself half way down the isle and refused to vow to obey her husband. I applaud Meghan for her bravery and strength. Whether you think of Meghan as a spoiled Hollywood star or the Duchess of Sussex and girlboss, I think us women can learn a thing or two from her. Not to mention she married a British Prince! I will forever remember watching the couple say their vows and walk down the isle. And despite being American, I remember the feeling of unity as Great Britain was changed forever.
London
Oh, London. You were chaotic and beautiful; and that’s why I love you. Our day in London was unfortunately cut short by traffic, loss of direction, and our flight back home. But those few hours changed me.
“Look at you, Yasmeen, you’re walking the streets of London,” My Aunt says to me from behind. I turn around to face her and we both laugh because this moment we know we’ll remember. I look down at my precious boots padding against the tiled sidewalk. These boots have been with me in my most life changing moments, and now they’re here too. I take in a deep breath and take it all in. Pollution included. The foreign food restaurants, the clicks of the diesel fueled cars and construction, men in suits, the door man in a long red coat and top hat, and the beautiful brick buildings with middle knobs.
The one place I saw with my feet on the ground was Buckingham Palace. It was all too appropriate to pay our respects with the wedding recently. I’ve seen so many pictures and movies of what the palace looks like. But it was somehow different in my own eyes. The place was so up kept, you would think it was built yesterday. The gold so bright almost blinding and the statues defined. Coincidentally as we arrived, the changing of the guard was happening! There were so many people I could only see the guards marching through the gates and hear the symphony playing the themes of Star Wars. Is that the normal soundtrack to the changing of the guard? I was honestly very confused!
The rest of my time in London was spent in the passenger seat of the car. Luckily, I don’t mind car rides and I made the best of the situation as I rolled my window down and put an earbud in to play my London Spotify playlist. As we drove in circles around and through London I took in as many sights and smells as I could. As we passed the London Eye, West Minster Abbey, the Borough Market, the Parliament Hall, and Tower Bridge our driver joked that this was the appetizer and soon we would return and have the four course meal. It was all so elegant. Even the underneath of the London Bridge was easy to look at. Unfortunately and funnily enough, we couldn’t figure out exactly how to go over the bridge…
Then it was time to head to the airport. I was all too sad leaving a place I knew one day I would call home. Who knows how or where I’ll end up? But I have this feeling, this huge seed of faith that I will return back to London.
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London Eye
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Buckingham Palace
The Borough Market
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London Called My Name, I Answered
In life we have our goals and dreams, some big and some small. And then there are those that are rooted so deep into our soul you just know you will obtain them.
London Called My Name, I Answered In life we have our goals and dreams, some big and some small. And then there are those that are rooted so deep into our soul you just know you will obtain them.
