Before we even thought about going to London, my older sibling and I randomly decided to binge-watch the Paddington movies. I had heard of Paddington Bear, but I had never sat down to watch the movies before. After watching the two movies, I was emotionally over a fictional bear in his little blue trenchcoat and red hat. 

It wasn’t just Paddington himself; it was what he represented. Kindness and acceptance, while being in a world that can sometimes be cruel for no reason. People in the movies constantly misunderstood him, judged him, or treated him differently before getting to know him. Yet Paddington stayed kind and gentle. Still believed in the good of people, and Mrs. Brown saw that immediately when everyone else walked past him. 

At the time, my life was not at its best. I had failed my nursing exam a second time, my GPA was low, and I felt like I was just a huge disappointment. My mother had told me that when I got back from Japan, I was banned from leaving the country, and I understood why. Why give an award when it is not deserved? I kept to myself after that. I stayed home, I went to class, and tried to fix everything. 

When my older sibling mentioned wanting to go to London for their birthday week with a friend, I got excited for them. I kept telling her to please bring me Paddington souvenirs and to go to the bus for me. Take lots of pictures of anything Paddington, and that was enough for me. 

There was an issue with my sibling’s plan with her friend, so it fell through, and the friend couldn’t go. And somehow i was ended up being asked. I was terrified to even ask my mother. I was literally going against her wishes, and I felt so horrible. I remember stepping out during one of my night classes and deciding to call her since I was gonna be home by 10 and would be too tired to finish my conversation. My stomach was in knots. I mean, I hadn’t done anything bad. I hadn’t gone out except for school. My GPA had gotten higher, but she didn’t know that. But still, I was afraid of disobeying her request. Somehow, after I talked with her, she agreed. I still don’t know how I pulled that off. Maybe it was the late-night call, maybe she was so tired, or she saw my honest effort, I don’t know. 

The trip was only a few weeks long, so I was both taking classes and in planning mode. While juggling my papers, I was unstoppable. I somehow managed to plan an entire London trip in under a week. Paddington bus tour? Booked. London Eye? Booked. Tim Burton Exhibition? Booked. I had spreadsheets, maps, schedules, food, time, transit, all of it planned for the 4-day trip. 

By the time the trip came around, I was mentally exhausted and in the middle of midterms. Yet I was still excited. The week leading up to the trip, I submitted as many papers as possible as early as possible, along with all my work. Trying to keep the work I do while over there to a minimum so I won’t be as stressed. 

The first thing we did when we landed in London was make a beeline for Paddington Station. I didn’t care how tired I was from the flight; we needed to see it for ourselves. We walked throughout the station searching for Paddington Station; we felt like little kids on a scavenger hunt. Unfortunately, the main store had already closed, but a temporary pop-up shop was still open and packed. We went crazy. We got a couple of tote bags, pins, and little Paddington souvenirs. I was so happy. 

The next few days were chaos, but in the best way possible. We rode double-decker buses through London, visited the Tim Burton exhibit at the Design Museum, and saw costumes and drawings from films I really enjoyed, like Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland. We got to explore the Hunterian Museum, which was filled with preserved anatomy, bones, insects in jars, and extinct animals. We walked to Buckingham Palace, saw Big Ben, and rode the London Eye, which offered a panoramic view of the entire city. 

My favorite part of the trip was probably the Paddington experience and bus tour. It might sound childish, but it was a lot of fun. The tour guide put a lot of effort into making the experience fun, and it was nice seeing London at night with all the lights. The food was good as well, but we both got a little full by the end. I just didn’t have to worry about anything for a while. 

There was even a moment after the tour bus, when we were walking back home, when I saw a carousel, and I told them we should because it was by the pier at night, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. That carousel was fun, it did go a little fast, but it was just the feeling of being kids. The cold air, city light, and music playing. Just two exhausted siblings having the best time. 

When the trip was over, my life went back to assignments and pressure, and those couple of days were something I could enjoy. 

Things I do wish I had tried and couldn’t while in London are:

1. Chinese Food
2. Fish and chips
3. Borough Market 
4. Rebeccas Chinese