Nov 29

Nov 29 London Diaries.

Some time this year, in 2019, I decided that I wanted to take my first solo trip before the year ends. Last month, after going through some sh*t, I semi-spontaneously decided to book a one-week trip to London, one of my favorite cities. I studied abroad here in the summer of 2016 and instantly fell in love; I’ve been meaning to go back since.

I decided on London not only because it’s a favorite city, but partially to assuage my apprehension of solo travel. It’s a city I’m somewhat familiar with, it’s vegan-friendly, it’s pretty safe, and there isn’t a language barrier. However, there is a part of me that wishes I chose to travel to a city I’ve never been to as my first solo trip: it would have been more of a “challenge,” which I like, in terms of adjusting to a new city and new culture on my own. It would feel more like a “real adventure.” But, nonetheless, London was still a great choice.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting older, or if it’s because I’m going through a very transitional period in my life right now, but I’ve been valuing my “alone” time a lot more than I did 1-2 years ago. Being an only child, though, I’m used to being alone and doing things alone. It’s also something I’ve grown to find value in. In New York City though, it’s one of those places where you are “alone” but are also never “alone.” Everyone here is very independent and is always doing their own thing, but at the same time you’re constantly surrounded by people: Cohabitation, work, and personal relationships. At times, this can leave little to no room for both mental and physical solitude. I needed to let go of obligations and responsibilities for a bit. A part of me feels like it’s something I also need right now, as I’ve been re-examining my values, work, and relationships this past year. (It’s also my lunar zodiac year & my Jupiter return! hooray.) Not a lot has happened in terms of physical life events, but mentally it feels like it’s been a trip. It’s been a long year of mental growth and mental exhaustion.

Traveling solo definitely has its ups and downs. I knew I was going to ultimately be okay since I’m rather independent in New York City and I spent a lot of time alone in London when I first came here. I’ve flown alone many times when I would travel to Asia to see my extended family. But entirely planning and budgeting a trip on your own is another story. There also have definitely been moments where I wish I could have shared with someone. Not necessarily in terms of material items (such as food), but shared moments and experiences. But I enjoyed traveling solo, and definitely want to do it again (and travel to places I’ve never been to before).

As someone who’s had chronic anxiety since I was a child (among other mental things, but that’s for another time to discuss), traveling solo has helped me overcome a lot of fears and has forced me to deal with stressful/anxiety provoking situations. Choosing a city I was familiar with helped with this as well. However, it was also nice to go to a place where I didn’t know many people, and I basically was all on my own the entire time. Learning to rely on yourself is an important life skill in my opinion, and while it a little anxiety provoking in the beginning, it’s definitely rewarding and feels liberating.

I’m obviously no expert in solo travel and I’m not going to act like I was enlightened by this experience. I was taken out of my comfort zone in some aspects, but in many other ways, not. But it’s definitely made me more unafraid to visit more places by myself and I’m glad I finally encouraged myself to do it (after saying it for a bunch of months).

Here’s what I enjoyed about my first-ever solo trip:

Being on your own schedule.

This was probably the thing I enjoyed the most. While I was on somewhat of a schedule (planned/ticketed events, breakfast cut-off time at my hostel), I was able to take as many breaks as needed, switch on my own plans last minute, visit the places I truly wanted to go to, etc. While traveling with friends/partners is great, sometimes it can be difficult to line up your energy levels, interests, and food preferences depending on who you’re traveling with. It was nice to be in total control of my itinerary and to be a little more selfish.

Self reflection.

I feel like people hate doing this for some reason, but I think it’s such an important trait and thing to do. How can you really know yourself if you’re constantly around and interacting with other people? Through self reflection, you’re more able to not only grow as a person, but also gain more emotional intelligence and maturity (which are very valuable traits that I wish more people had of). I didn’t journal this time, and didn’t draw as much as I wanted to, but I feel like I was able to know a bit more about myself during this trip. I also realized how much latent stress I had in New York prior to coming here—I had chronic migraines, was constantly nauseous, and had body aches. I didn’t think I was consciously stressed. However, once I got to London my body felt a lot better, and I’ve also been trying to take better care of it and listen to it during my time here. It’s important to know yourself and what you value in order to grow as a person, and it helps realize what relationships are nurturing and what relationships don’t serve a purpose anymore (what’s the point on expending emotional and mental energy on a relationship that doesn’t serve you a purpose any longer?).

Taking things day by day.

This goes back to the first point about traveling on your own schedule, but I really enjoyed being able to chill and take breaks whenever I wanted. Coming from tons of stress in NY, I wanted to make sure I took enough time to rest and take care of my body while I was out and about. There would be days where I was still pretty jet lagged and would be so tired from walking around all day, I would just call it an early night. There’s no obligation to keep up with jam-packed schedules of traveling, or to stick with the plans your friend laid out. You really are in charge of moulding your experience in anyway you want it to be.

Highlights

On my first full day in London, I visited V&A Museum to see their Tim Walker exhibition. I had pre-purchased tickets since this was a special exhibition, but entry to the museum is free with a donation. The exhibition was nicely curated and definitely reflected the overall mood, energy, and atmosphere of Tim Walker’s work (read: ethereal, dreamy, Alice-in-Wonderland type fantasy). The first room was empty with background visuals against the walls, followed by a white room exhibiting a bunch of his photographs in addition to his sketch books. Each room/section was generally organized by a “theme” that was also reflected in his selected works shown. There were ornately decorated rooms, accompanied by garments photographed in his work, as well as giant sculptures that capture the essence and mood of his work. It was an overall extremely visually engaging exhibition, showcasing different the many different depths of Walker’s work. The exhibition is going on until March 2020.

End of the exhibition featured life-size reproductions of Walker’s sketchbooks.

The next day I headed to Old Spitalfields Market to see their Antique Market. Situated among modern high rise buildings in the the heart of East London, this market has a variety of independent artist, jewelry, clothing, and food vendors that participate in the market daily. However, on Thursdays they have their weekly Antique Market which was super packed. There’s tons of vintage knick-knacks, from antique keys & silverware to film cameras to vintage clothing. I remember my first time going in 2016 and being so fascinated with this market since New York’s antique/vintage scene is not the best (and extremely overpriced). I picked up a unique distressed leather jacket as well as a few antique cigarette tins (that I now display decoratively). Great market for antique enthusiasts.

On Friday, I took an extremely fun and informative organic skincare making class that I booked through Air BNB. I’ve been interested in natural beauty products for awhile now but have never actually made or bought anything just because a) I don’t know what 'natural’ products work best for my skin since it’s very sensitive and b) I wouldn’t really know where to begin. The host, Elaine, was super friendly and knowledgable. We made two bar soaps, a natural deodorant (that actually works!), and a facial moisturizer. The components comprised of a blend of different types of essential oils in each recipe, depending on what works best for your skin type and skin needs. I’m super happy I took this class and found it very interesting and informative and would definitely recommend anyone visiting London to take it!

Weekends in London are exciting because of the abundance of markets the city has to offer. While many markets, such as Camden Market and Portobello Road Market, operate on weekdays, the best markets are on the weekends (in my opinion!). These markets (more on that later in this post) are particularly great for foodies and vintage hunters. Some of the best food I’ve had in London were at these markets, especially because many of them only do pop-up markets so there is some level of “exclusivity.” The only con of being a solo traveler for these instances is not having someone to split your food with to try more things, but it’s still enjoyable to take a stroll through the markets and try lots of new foods.

During my time in London, I also spent a lot of time in cafes, although sometimes I wish I had done more research in cafes if I had known I would spend so much time in them! Cafe’s are a great way to spend down time when you’re out in the city and don’t feel like returning to your hostel (or place of stay) quite yet. I brought a few books with me so I was able to spend time to sit down and read, and disconnect from my electronics for once. To be frank, I spent a lot of time in chain coffee shops such as Nero or Costa since those were all over London and I hadn’t done much cafe research prior (plus, chain coffee in London tastes a lot better than chain coffee in the U.S.). Since these cafes have more of a European influence, it was easy to sit down in most of them and just go on my computer or read a book with an espresso to stay. However, from the ones I did research and visit, my favorite cafe was definitely Palm Vaults, which is a vegan/vegetarian cafe in Hackney. I also enjoyed Paper & Cup, which is also located in East London.

Places.

Some favorite & notable places to visit in london.

Bookmarks (Bloomsbury) - London’s socialist bookstore. They have a bunch of discounted books in front outside of the store, starting at £1. The bookstore has an entire section dedicated to Karl Marx, as well as sections dedicated to feminism, world politics, etc. They also have a shelf full of self-published books. In the back, there is a selection of children’s books and secondhand books. Definitely a super cool book shop for anyone within this political realm.

Artwords (Shoreditch) - A small, cozy art bookshop in Shoreditch. They have books on photography, graphic design, fashion/fashion design, interiors, general art/design, and more. There’s also a whole shelf full of cool lifestyle and fashion magazines.

Boxpark (Shoreditch) - Shipping container-turned-pop up space. Has a variety of different shopping & dessert vendors on the ground floor level, and additional food vendors + a bar upstairs. Cute space to check out when you’re in the area.

Coal Drops (Kings Cross) - A new outdoor shopping space blocks away from King’s Cross station in central London, right next to UAL’s infamous Central Saint Martins. This outdoor area encompasses a variety of shops, from different established European designer retailers to smaller, independent shops and cafes. Nice, airy space to spend an hour or two in.

Tate Modern (Southwark) - Pretty cool modern art museum featuring many different mediums, such as 2D art, installation, and sculpture. A lot of the art they feature are centered around activist movements which is what draws me a lot to this museum. Plus, it’s free for admission!

V&A Museum (South Kensington) - Great art museum with lots of different art, objects, and artifacts. I particularly like this museum because they have an entire section dedicated to fashion, which is not common for many art museums (other than special exhibitions). They have a variety of special exhibitions and talks as well. Plus, the building is beautiful and there’s a fairly large courtyard in the middle of the building.

Markets.

A must-see when visiting London.There are a ton more that I didn’t list/visit, but these are my favorite ones and they’re also within close proximity to one another.

Old Spitalfields Market (Spitalfields)
On Thursdays, they have an antique market with tons of antique vendors selling vintage clothes, housewares, and other small collectibles. It can be very crowded, but you can definitely find some great deals and cool items. The market also sells a lot of independent artist wares, as well as food stalls.

Broadway Market (Hackney)
A rather extensive outdoor market with a bunch of street food stalls, produce vendors, and independent artists/goods vendors as well. The market runs every Saturday, and has a great assortment of vendors and items. One of my favorite food stalls was Shakey Shakey’s Tofish, a vegan and gluten-free vendor specializing in British fish and chips. Since I can’t eat a whole platter of fries myself, I opted for the vegan fish sandwich which was absolutely delicious.

Brick Lane Market (Brick Lane)
Located in East London in the largest district of London’s South Asian community, Brick Lane Market is a fairly extensive market consisting of a huge variety of food stalls, vintage clothing, and other various knick-knacks. It operates every Sunday. It’s mostly outdoors, but there are also some smaller sections/markets that are indoors. It’s an all-around great market for both the foodie and the vintage shopper and is situated in a vibrant area of East London.

Columbia Flower Market (Bethnal Green)
Not far from Brick Lane Market, Columbia Flower Market operates every Sunday. As the name implies, the market is full of flower and plant vendors, where you can shop the most beautiful floral arrangements or buy a new plant for your home. Along the market there are also a bunch of independently owned shops and eateries which are also worth checking out while you’re in the area.

Shops.

London is a great city for fashion enthusiasts. From established department stores like liberty london & selfridges, to the independent boutiques of Shoreditch, there is much to shop and explore in this fashion capital.

If you’re new to London, I definitely recommend visiting Liberty London, Harrods, and Selfridges to see some iconic department stores in the city. Dover Street Market is also cool to check out for fashion enthusiasts, as each store has its own unique touches based on the city it’s in. London also has a few major shopping areas: Canarby & Covent Garden are huge areas for more commercial shopping (also beware, there are many tourists). Think ASOS, but in each brands’ respective stores. Oxford Street, which is around the same area, is a long street full of commercial shopping as well (think Broadway in Soho, or 5th avenue in upper Manhattan). There are also a lot of great shops off Oxford Street as well, such as H&M subsidiaries ARKET and Weekday. If you’re more keen on independent boutiques and vintage, head over to Shoreditch in East London: you’ll find rows of secondhand vintage shops (where you can score some really good finds), as well as sprinkles of contemporary/designer boutiques in the area. Some favorite vintage stores I’ve been to are: Rokit (which has multiple locations), Beyond Retro, and Brick Lane Vintage. However, I definitely wouldn’t limit to just these stores as there are tons you will stumble upon in the area (especially during markets on weekends).

Browns East (Shoreditch) - Luxury mini department store carrying various designer labels & streetwear brands for both mens & womenswear. They also carry accessories, shoes, and fragrances. Artistically decorated space, with curated on-site works throughout the store. Great curated space that’s tucked on a quiet, residential block.

Goodhood (Shoreditch) - Small, well curated space selling womenswear, menswear, housewares, and fragrances. They carry a lot of Japanese/Japanese-centric brands. Everything is very well curated, from clothes and accessories to housewares. One of my favorite boutiques I have visited.

AIDA (Shoreditch) - Chic Scandinavian inspired boutique right next to House of Hackney. They sell contemporary menswear, womenswear, and house goods. There is also a coffee shop in the front of the store, which is always a plus.

Cyber Dog (Camden) - A bit of a wild card, but this is a shop I enjoy visiting in London because of its novelty. Located inside a store that actually looks like a robotic dog, Cyber Dog stocks an assortment of ravewear, novelty gifts, and sex toys. The interior of the store makes you feel like you are actually going to a rave, with dark, fluorescent lighting and trance/techno/house music blasting. If you’re not into rave clothing, this is also a good place to get fun gifts for people.

ARKET (Multiple Locations) - A modern, slightly minimal (and very Scandinavian) lifestyle store selling womenswear, menswear, and housegoods. Each store also has a cafe in it (I haven’t been to the cafe so not much I can say about it). ARKET reminds me of a slightly more upscale H&M, with higher quality items, a higher price point, and a more elevated taste level. However, it still maintains a similar trendy-but-on-the-minimal-side aesthetic that H&M does.

Weekday (Regent Street) - A trendy Scandinavian brand aimed at the younger customer (whereas ARKET is more sophisticated) with a focus on sustainability. In terms of H&M’s brand portfolio, Weekday reminds me of a younger version of &Other Stories, but with menswear in the store as well. Price point & quality is better & higher than H&M, but lower than &Other Stories and ARKET. The store offers a wide selection of denim as well, with a variety of different fits and washes (not to mention that they are all made from either organic or recycled cotton).

To Eat

Mildred’s (Multiple Locations) - A vegetarian, vegan-friendly small London chain serving lunch & dinner. I returned here after eating here last time I visited and loving it. They offer a variety of burgers, globally-inspired plates & bowls, as well as desserts. Most of their menu is vegan! I’ve had their curry as well as their vegan kebabs and I have thoroughly enjoyed both dishes.

Eat Chay (Shoreditch) - Vegan Vietnamese food located inside of Boxpark in Shoreditch. I was bummed that they ran out of baguettes the day I visited since I wanted to try the banh mi, but I got the noodle salad with soy vegan ‘chicken’ and it was still light, refreshing, and delicious.

Crosstown Doughnuts (Multiple Locations) - Sourdough donuts with vegan options available. I highly recommend going here at least once; they are scattered throughout London so there’s no excuse for missing one! They have multiple shop locations around the city, as well as food trucks in various market spaces around London. Their donuts are pretty hefty in size, and could definitely be shared, but they are still pretty light in texture and are not overly sweet.

Genesis (Shoreditch) - Great spot for vegan comfort food without the grease and food coma. They have a shop located in Shoreditch, as well as a stall inside of Old Spitalfields Market. They have a pretty extensive menu, with items such as tacos, burgers, and salads in addition to a full drink menu. I had their fried chicken burger and while it was a little pricey, it was still delicious and I liked that it was not greasy.

Paper and Cup (Shoreditch) - Cozy bookshop-cafe tucked on a quiet block in Shoreditch. The cafe is not-for-profit and is founded by Spitalfield Crypt Trust, a local organization that helps people recover from drug addiction and homelessness. They have great coffee drinks and also offer vegan pastries! Great place to stop for a coffee or to catch up on some reading—they sell books for £1 in the shop.

Palm Vaults Cafe (Hackney) - One of my favorite cafe’s. I’m not a huge fan of the color pink but when it’s done in a very well designed and curated manner, I’ll give in. Not only does this cafe look like it came out of a quirky, art-curated LES shop in NYC, but the food and drinks are so good. Their menu is all vegan and vegetarian, serving a variety of colorful specialty lattes (search their pink latte) alongside brunchy bites and desserts. I had their blue lavender latte which not only looked beautiful, but tasted like sophisticated fruity pebbles (be aware - most of their specialty drinks are sweet). I had it with the grilled banana bread, topped with coconut yogurt (I also recommend). I’ll definitely be coming back here during my next visit.