If my first trip to London was about worlds colliding, my second trip was about reuniting with my people.

After my first time in the city, I ventured to Bristol, Paris, Belgium, and the Netherlands. But with a flight out of London to my 3-day silent meditation retreat in Cyprus, I figured I’d make a week out of it and see as much of the city–and my favorite people–as possible.

It started off with a bang. On Monday, I checked in to Onefam Waterloo, immediately reuniting with two of my Barcelona co-workers, Chloe and Kim. They were part of why volunteering in Barcelona was memorable and that energy stayed with us in London.

Each Onefam has an outing that is the staff's favorite, and in London that happened to be Monday night when the hostel would go to a club called Heaven.

This place was so hyped up that I had heard about it back in Barcelona. To be fair, it did not disappoint.

Until that night, I’d never ended up with my shirt off at the club, but there we were. Me and half a dozen other backpackers, dancing the night away. Maybe I’m slightly biased towards Barcelona nightlife, but I can’t say anything bad about London now.

The Impossible Task of "Exploring" London

I spent the next few days trying to see as much as possible. London is massive and every neighborhood feels different.

I've stayed in 3 different neighborhoods–Camden, a gritty yet trendy neighborhood; Notting Hill, a boujee and high-class area; and Waterloo, home to many of the city’s tourist attractions. For all I knew, they could have been different cities altogether. The variety aids the belief that there is something for everyone in London but could be seen as a hindrance to any continuity.

Nonetheless, it makes for some fun exploring because there’s no shortage of things to do.

There’s definitely no shortage of dollars to spend–New York and Dubai are the only other cities that feel like simply stepping outside can be so cripplingly expensive. Between the British pound’s exchange rate and the high cost of food, entry fees, and public transport, it’s hard to scrape by–a sentiment echoed by countless locals I met.

London did have my heart as a European destination that felt similar to home. I typically avoid eating American fast food chains while traveling, but London had some options like Shake Shack and Chipotle that I've hardly found abroad. I’ll never forget the feeling of watching the sunset at Primrose Hill with Amy–a Onefam volunteer–while eating my Chipotle Chicken Al Pastor bowl. 

So many parts of that moment hit different.

Picking and Choosing

For better or worse, London is also a city with so much history. It’s significant for being the center of the British empire which colonized half the world, fighting (and winning) two World Wars, and being home to the world's most famous monarchy.

I could’ve spent months learning about the places and events shaped by this city. Instead, I just hit the highlights–Buckingham Palace, the British Parliament, and Big Ben.

Ugh. It’s almost a curse that the city has so much to offer. I took advantage of the parks, ran along the Thames River, and visited its famous markets. Even the weather–notoriously one of the worst parts about London–held up extremely well.

However, my second trip to London was defined by the people far more than the neighborhoods, landmarks, or even food. That became clear when I pulled up to the other Onefam hostel in Notting Hill, to pay an old friend a visit.

Reuniting

My trip would have looked massively different if it weren't for Jona saying yes to me volunteering at Onefam Ramblas in BCN.

I probably wouldn't have even come back to London if it weren't to see my Barcelona family. So I was thrilled to reunite with my former Ramblas manager and shoot the breeze with him.

Our convo led into my last night in London where we brought tons of people out from Onefam Waterloo and Notting Hill to an Irish Pub with live music called O'Neil's.

It was a night of singing, laughing, and dancing, all made more memorable because of the reunion of the many people who positively impacted me during this trip.

It wasn't quite a goodbye to Onefam or these amazing people. More of a see you later. But "see you later" can be emotional when it's open-ended.

I'm not sure when I'll be back in that community or when I'll get to reunite with the people I spent quality time with in London.

But I'm fairly certain it will happen.

The Verdict on London

London has made it very clear what it is and isn't during my two trips

It is a city with something for everyone, rich in history, and at the center of today's world. It has abundant international culture, great nightlife and pub culture, and age-old traditions.

But it's not a cheap place, nor is it easily afforded by your everyday Brit (or backpacker). It's not the most pleasant weather, but there's never a shortage of things to do.

Take it or leave it. London isn't going anywhere.

I can't help comparing it to New York City–the US's version of London. Frankly, I'd take NYC over London for a hard-to-quantify feeling. In New York, there's a certain energy in the air. A sense of optimism and grittiness, but a feeling of infinite possibility.

London is just as big but has no comparable energy. For me, that's what it's missing. Yet, I admire what London has become for the UK and Europe. It's considered the best city in the world by many–and for good reason.

I'm grateful to have visited twice and reunited with my friends, and I hope to be back someday.