Today was our first and last full day in London, and honestly, it feels unreal saying that. We started the morning very early, hopping off the train and stepping right into the city, and the second we turned the corner, Big Ben was just there, sparkling and so iconic. I swear my jaw actually dropped. I knew it was famous, but I didn’t know it was THAT big. Seeing it in person instantly set the tone for the day: I was wide awake, excited, and ready to take on our last final day in the UK.
We walked straight to the Florence Nightingale Museum, which ended up being way more fun than I expected. There were costumes to try on like bonnets, old‑fashioned outfits, the whole deal, and so much history packed into one space. There were so many different themed rooms based on her achievements and how we use her methods in nursing today. After we finished exploring, a group of my friends and I had our whole last day planned out!
Our first stop: Borough Market. And wow. The smells alone were enough to make me want to live there. Fresh fruit, warm bread, smoothies, pastries. Everything looked like it belonged in a food magazine. We tried the TikTok‑famous chocolate‑covered strawberries, and yes, it was so so good. They were the best strawberries I’ve ever had. For my early lunch, I got pumpkin and ricotta tortellini with tomato sauce, and it was so good, and thankfully we had a lot of walking to do so I could walk off my full stomach.
After fueling up, we started tackling our list of must‑see spots. We originally wanted to walk across Abbey Road like the Beatles, but it was way too far, so we pivoted to places within a 20–30 minute walk. First up was the Tower Bridge, which looked straight out of a postcard. Then we took a long walk back toward Big Ben, stopping along the way to watch a street performer who somehow managed to ride a unicycle, juggle, and squeeze himself through a tennis racket. It was random, chaotic, and hilarious, so basically the perfect London street moment.
We wandered through shops, passed the London Eye, took a million pictures, and just soaked in our last day. Eventually we stopped for food again (because obviously), and then continued our walk to Buckingham Palace. And talk about timing because we arrived right as they were doing a shift change. The music, the marching, the whole ceremony felt like we accidentally walked into a movie scene.
Next came one of the most unexpected parts of the entire trip: our hunt for Jellycats somehow turned into running into Dua Lipa?! She walked into this huge mall and suddenly everyone was gathering, so naturally we joined the crowd. I still don’t know how that happened or how we got that lucky, but it definitely added a wild twist to the day.
After that, we walked around a bit more before meeting up with our whole group to see Moulin Rouge. I went in thinking it would just be fun dancing and good music, but it was so much more emotional than I expected. I was actually crying, like full‑on tears, because it was so tragic and beautiful. Definitely a 10/10.
By the time we finally made it back to the hotel, my feet felt like they were going to fall off. My step count was almost 25,000, which explains why I basically collapsed onto my bed the second we got in. But honestly? I wouldn’t change a thing. It was the perfect last day. So busy, fun and unforgettable.
This whole trip has been such an amazing experience. I saw so many things I’ve only ever seen in pictures, ate some of the best food ever, made memories with some of my new best friends that I’ll be talking about forever, and got to explore a city that I somehow got lucky enough to experience. I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, and I’m already sad it’s over, but I’m also so grateful. London and Birmingham, you will be so missed.