After a six hour flight I arrived at my friends apt at St George Wharf around 11pm. I left the dinner party early to catch up on sleep. The next day I was alone in the apartment contemplating my first day in this new city. I consulted the "Lonely Planet" guide for what to do,and yet....
There's always a certain amount of fear that builds when being alone in a new city. The longer I looked out from the apt balcony to the River Thames and the city of London, the more fearful I became. But from all my travel experiences I have learned that if I want to enjoy my time, it's ok to feel fear but i just have to do it anyway. The "doing it" part for me constituted just leaving the apartment. Ok, so although leaving the safety of my living environment to explore the unknown is difficult regardless of what city I find myself in, in London I found it virtually impossible. The door exiting the apartment did NOT HAVE A DOORKNOB!! (see pics provided). Something that I was capable of doing in NY (opening a door) turned into a twenty minute escapade.
This episode served to be what would become my London experience: everything I thought I knew, was different here; this included the words, the food and even the doors.
