Once again, I found my Gypsy blood causing me to panic and need to go somewhere. So this year, at the very last hour, I decided to fly to London for my once a year 24-hour travel/shoot experience.
I booked the ticket, and off I went. The first thing I did was exchange a bit of cash and found a cab. It was a lovely 30-minute ride into the heart of the city. It was really funny when the cab driver walked around to the “passenger” side of the car, so I assumed he wanted me to follow. It turns out that he was getting in to drive. When I followed him he just looked at me like “Do you want to drive?” So I burst out laughing… Once we were on the road, he started talking so fast and giving me all kinds of ideas on what to do and where to go on my 24 journey. The sad fact was, I could not understand a word he said. But I kept nodding and smiling because listening to him was awesome. It is hard to believe that we both were speaking English and I understood almost nothing he said!
I wanted to rough it, so I packed only a backpack with my equipment and one outfit. I considered not getting a hotel and shooting thru the night but it was REALLY cold. So, I did check in. However, I immediately hit the road running. The cab ride in was so amazing I couldn’t wait to get outside and shoot.
The interesting part was that I almost always bring a friend on these crazy journeys but this time I found myself alone. At first I really felt it. I was walking down the str
eet watching and shooting people and I started to feel sad. I felt like a tiny blip in the universe. After spending a lot of time thinking about life and the choice I made to be alone, I decided to change the sadness so I started to search for people. It didn’t take long and I found Hyde Park. Not only was a huge holiday festival going on, but also people were everywhere. It was really easy to talk to folks. I am not sure if it was the beer they were drinking, but everyone seemed ready to share a story. I meet two men that looked like they lived on the streets. Both had big dogs and were really excited to tell me about their world. They took me on a mini tour and showed me how to get along in the “Tube” I wanted to hang out longer, but I knew that I needed to see the city. So I hit the road. I am not kidding when I say that I saw everything. Every major building, the parks and historic markers as well. The light outside was so magical. I felt like I was in a movie. Everything was breathtaking. As they day turned to night I realized that I really needed one more day to soak it all in. I made a few changes to my flight and off I went into the night for some evening shots. I ended up back in Hyde Park for a few hours. At first I was totally wrapped into the shooting and I lost track of time. Once I realized how late it was I thought I should start back. I will say that hiking thru Hyde Park in the middle of the night in the dark was a little nerve wracking! I started to think about Jeckle and Hyde and every other scary old tale and soon I was more running than walking.
On the way to the airport I decided to try out the train system. This was a fun ride thru the country. What a magnificent place to visit. Once I made it to the airport, it was a long 12-hour Journey home. I was proud that the only official trouble I got in was the fact that I used my cell phone in customs. Honestly I was so tired I wasn’t thinking. But, when I got pulled out of line and questioned by police, I got the idea that they were not kidding! I was just disappointed that I had to get BACK at the end of the line….
So, today I am back with my children. I am so grateful that they have not only accepted the Gypsy inside of me. But they support and encourage me to follow my passion. I am grateful that I was able to see that no matter where you go, you can meet friendly faces, but I am really glad that I am ringing in the New Year with my own little people!!
