BFF Trip 2018 - London, UK - Day 1

My BFF, without a doubt. She stood by my side when I got married, she is the only reason I found someone I actually wanted to marry, and our bond is one forged by hardship, a friendship of steel and iron and all things unbreakable. There is nothing like the bond of those who have fought, knelt, and cowered in the trenches of residency side by side.. 

But we've never traveled together, and nothing tests the strength of a bond like 16 consecutive days of trekking through parts unknown and parts unfamiliar. 

It turns out we have nothing to worry about. Few travel buddies are more compatible, as we both travel at the same harried pace, driven by a FOMO beyond imagine and completest tendencies beyond compare. With our powers combined, our energy only amplifies and our need for sleep is diminished.

A 2 PM arrival means we can hit the ground running. Most major monuments and museums close around 5 PM so we have just enough time to see one big thing. The bags hit the floor, the leggings and sneakers are swapped out for jeans and loafers, and we immediately take off for Buckingham Palace. 

No photos allowed inside, and we forget to take them outside as well. Rookie mistake - we'll blame it on the jet lag. We did find a moment of pause in front of a Duke of Wellington memorial, though. 

Following with a leisurely...multi-mile stroll through Hyde Park, we view a new and temporary art installation in a terrible waning light. Pictured above: photo that does no justice to the cheerful colors and interesting barrel-stack texture. 

Here it is as the backdrop of the Princess Diana Memorial, a circular fountain of continuous flow, as lasting as her legacy.

Day 1 is more like a day 0.25, and it's done as quickly as it started. I already love this city full of history, classics, and class. It's a long day of flying and a long night of exploration, but it's a day well-spent, and I'm already anticipating the one that follows.