Finding Life's Joy in a Favorite London Tour

I’ve been thinking a lot about these travel posts. I know it’s not my normal thing, and I always wonder if people see this and roll their eyes. Like, “okay, Jill, we get it. You got to go on a really cool trip. Meanwhile the rest of us are trying to live normal lives where we don’t get to travel the world.” 

Is that what you’re thinking? I sure hope not, but it might be. If you’ve read any of my story, you know that I do, in fact, understand what it’s like to be buried eyeball deep in life. Feeling like I might drown. Feeling guilty and stressed and desperate and broke and just…not enough in every way. I spent a lot of years like that. I spent a lot of seasons like that. Decades. And the weight I have on my body, in my soul, and in the attic of my mind proves it. 

Over the last year and half, I’ve spent some real time in the dark attic of my brain, cleaning out some of those heavy boxes I’ve clung to. And I actually think I’m starting to let them go. And starting to embrace the joy of today. Who knows what the future holds, but what I know is that I must celebrate today and the joy that comes from living a life of peace. I’ve survived some really tough years. Well, I think I’ve done more than survive. I think I’m learning to thrive. I think all those dark years made me who I am, and I hope you know that your dark days can do the same for you.

If you’re in your dark days or even years, and you just really don’t want to hear about how I’ve gallivanted all over the place, believe me--I get it. I don’t come at you with any pretence or bragging rights. Instead, I hope that you can look at what I’m doing now and know that in my drowning days, I never thought this could be a possibility. Not even close. And I don’t want to speak for Hector, but I can assure you he would say the same. But we are here. Miraculously, incredibly, we are actually here, and I just can't help but share it all with you. When we travel, we are cultivating joy in our lives. We make traveling a priority because we become so much more by experiencing new places and different cultures. Learning about history and eating delicious food from different countries. It’s what energizes our lives and brings us so much fulfillment.

I guess I would ask you--even if you can’t see over the waves that are currently crashing over you. What brings you joy? It doesn’t have to be anything that costs money or means you have to get on a ten hour flight. It could be watching a sunset. Drinking a yummy cup of tea. Talking to a friend. Watching a favorite movie. Or reading a favorite book. Going to church or doing a yoga class. (You can get those for free on Youtube). I’m loving sharing how my life has filled out all the way to the edges, but I would encourage you not to wait for that. Don’t wait to capture the joy until you have enough money. Or enough time. Or until you feel like enough. Hey, guess what? You are enough today. Right now. So go out there and find what brings you joy. You might be surprised how it makes those crashing waves a little easier to navigate. And remember--I used to be caught in the waves too, sure I would never swim my way out. 

But I did. 

And because of that I’d like to tell you about one of our favorite tour days in London. By now you know that Hector found the tour, read all the reviews, and made all the arrangements. And as usual, his hard work paid off big time! We spent a day touring Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Oxford. I would highly recommend this tour. It included bus transportation to all the sights, along with a very knowledgeable and courteous guide who just made the day so rich and exciting. I’m going to tell you about each place and hope that it gives you some ideas about what to expect if you decide to add this to any upcoming trips to London. 

Windsor Castle. 

It was nestled in the middle of the town of Windsor, which was quaint and unique. We waited in line and heard some of England’s history from our scholarly guide. It was such an imposing and daunting castle with so much history. We walked through the royal staterooms and saw so many interesting weapons, armor, beautiful furniture, and just incredible artefacts. And we learned that they do love their coats of arms there. I mean, they really love them. It was fun to see them all. Then, we got to see where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were buried, in the chapel. I was so moved that they would just allow the public in to see her burial place and let people pay their respects. I will never forget being there and witnessing that. Henry VIII was also buried there with Jane Seymour, the wife he supposedly actually loved. (Boo) Despite Henry’s presence, it was definitely worth the visit. 

Stonehenge. 

It was…meh. Okay, let me back up. It was amazing to see it, but once you see it you’re done. Like in 10 minutes. Again, it’s cool to see, especially since it’s so iconic, but really it was a quick one and then we were ready to move on. My advice about Stonehenge is that it’s definitely worth seeing, but I wouldn’t take a trip out to Stonehenge just for that. Take a tour like the one we did that adds it to other sight-seeing highlights so you feel your trip out to see it is really worth it.

Oxford.

I think that was my favorite part of the day. We took a walking tour through the cutest little town that just seemed to be captured in a lost time. There was so much Harry Potter there. I think the designers and maybe Rowling herself must’ve taken some inspiration from this town. We got to stand outside the Bodleian Library, where I got lost in dreaming about how I could someday work in there….Still thinking about that one. I got some scarves and gloves from one of the shops, and they’ll be a fun reminder and memory. They’re so pretty. On a side note, we had been out shopping a day or two before this, and we walked into a Burberry store in London where I realized for the first time that Burberry scarves are around $500! For a scarf! Honestly, I had no idea. The scarves we bought were a tiny fraction of that price, and they mean so much to me. Every time I wear them or even see them in my closet, I think about the day we sat outside in Oxford drinking coffee and taking in the town’s atmosphere. I remember distinctly that I had a flat white coffee, which is a cappuccino with no foam. My pro tip? Buy things that bring you back to joyful moments instead of ones with a high price tag because they are designer. After we had our cozy coffees, we got back on the bus where our guide pointed out a pub where CS Lewis and JR Tolkien used to hang out! I really wish we could’ve had a drink there, but sadly it was permanently closed.  What a shame. I would’ve loved to sit in the same room where those two conversed and created. How incredible!

This day ignited my creativity and fed my love of history. I hope that you find something today that can do the same for you. Look up and look around. You don’t have to be in another country to see it. You never know what the future will bring, but look around at your today and make it as joyful as you have it in you to make it!