Steps: 24,463 BCN —> London Weather: Pleasant, warm enough, sunny

  • 12:00AM Final movie in the living room with Natalie 😢. We attempted to watch Players but both got so tired that we fell asleep on the couch and then retired to our rooms.
  • 2:00AM Brush and floss my teeth to wake myself up a bit
  • 2:30AM Begin packing
  • 3:00AM Mini freak out session because my suitcase won’t close and I’m realizing I have way more stuff than I thought I did.
  • 4:30AM After a lot of thinking through and rearranging (and taking full advantage of the space in my backpack), I manage to zip my suitcase.
  • 5:00AM Goodnight!
  • 8:15 Good morning!
  • 9:00 Finished getting ready and packing. Natalie comes in and we have a last moment sitting on my bed together.
  • 9:15 Cristina comes in and we enjoy each other’s company for one last time.
  • 9:30 Final, tearful goodbye with Cristina. She assures me that “no es un adios, es un hasta luego” and that my keys would be right there waiting for me the next time I came to visit. Natalie walks me to my metro stop where we have an even more tragic and tearful goodbye and a lot of commuters stare at us. I really didn’t want her to walk away…🥺
  • 10:00 Board the L7 for the last time. I didn’t realize this would be my last time feeling and breathing in the Barcelona air. Switch to the L5 at Provenca. Switch to the L9S at Collserolla. Get off at the Airport T1.
  • 11:15 Arrive at the airport. It is SO freaking hot and I am wearing like five sweaters to save room in my suitcase.
  • 11:40 Check my bag, through security!
  • 11:50 Head to Boldu for one last Praline Bolduman donut.
  • 11:55 Passport and immigration control to access gate D. This took a bit longer than I had anticipated…. I ended up being fine on time but for the sake of my own stress I probably should’ve skipped the donut excursion.
  • 12:05 At my gate!
  • 12:25 Board the plane
  • 12:55 Take off! The lady sitting next to me lowkey stole my window seat by spilling water on it and trading, so I had the middle.
  • 2:30 Land in London-Gatwick!!! Here officially begins my solo Europe adventure :)
  • 3:00 Baggage claim, figure out Thameslink train to the London Bridge station, where Faith and Murat pick me up and drive me to her dorm.
  • 4:00 “Move in” to Faith’s room!
  • 5:30 We leave for a tour of Central London/LSE/Big Ben
  • 6:30 Nerds Gummy Clusters (the American ones are better), Primark to try and find an all black clubbing outfit.
  • 8:30 Chicken bao bun for dinner from Joy Bao Bao. Wander back to Bankside (Faith’s dorm). 9:45 Quick change and get ready
  • 10:15 Take the Central/District train to the E1 club. Meet Murat there and he gives me a funny cat hat that makes me very popular.
  • 11:15 In the club! This club is so different from all the Barcelona clubs, and I like it so much more! LOUD music (earplugs 100% necessary the entire time), DJ beats with heavy bass, dark warehouse vibes with flashing lights. It was actually a pretty good time until I started falling asleep while standing up- literally (I had my eyes closed and let myself go until I started toppling to one side and woke myself up).
  • 3:15 Leave. Faith and I call an Uber back, which is so worth avoiding the hour long freezing cold walk.
  • 4:00 Back to Faith’s dorm, asleep immediately.