Day 7! I forgot to mention yesterday I was wearing my KU hat and someone said “Heyyy, KU!” And turns out they were from Lawrence, Kansas! Small world!

As the title says, today was a much needed rest and recovery day.

Being go go go is fun, but with this style of traveling I need to remember to take a breather and make sure to focus on my mental health.

Traveling is usually a vacation… but it’s currently my everyday life (which I’m very fortunate to be able to say)!

So to kick start my R&R day, I woke up right before the hotel breakfast was over and then went right back into bed and went back to sleep for an hour!

I then made my way to a nearby laundromat because both my dad and I needed some clean clothes!

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to use a laundromat (the last time being in Drum Corps probably)! But it was such a pleasant experience.

The lady working was very helpful and made the process seamless! While my laundry was being washed I sat, listened to an audio book, and just people watched.

The washer and dryer cost £13 in the end (I’m very much looking forward to SE Asia’s pricing).

Ever since Thailand I’ve really enjoyed taking time by myself and just being present! It’s really easy to let outside factors weigh you down or the stresses of the past/future get in the way. But taking time to think about enjoying today has been very helpful for me!

As they say in Kung Fu Panda:

“Yesterday is history,

tomorrow is a mystery,

and today is a gift…

that’s why they call it present”

My dad then got done with class and we made our way on a little walk to some pubs!

But before we did, my dad needed to stop by the nearby stationary store for a journal!

We then made our way on a tiny pub crawl to two pubs that George Orwell used to frequent!

The first of them being the Fitzroy!

I didn’t get a picture of it, but this pub still had a divider in it that used to act as a separator for people of different classes. Kinda crazy to see… and that it was still there was surprising!

My dad recently got me into reading Orwell novels and I’ve really enjoyed them! So being in a place where he used to sit with other writers and drink was pretty cool!

The bartender was new and didn’t really know where Orwell specifically sat, but at the next pub we actually sat exactly where he used to sit!

After finishing our beer we made our way down the street to another nearby pub, the Wheatsheaf!

On the wall of the pub you can see two blue circles:

Signifying we were definitely in the right spot!

My dad and I enjoyed another beer and as I said earlier, ended up sitting in the exact spot as Orwell did back in the day (this bartender had definitely been asked a few times before).

After having a few beers, it was time to run another errand! We took a BRISK walk, the temperature was dropping very fast, to a nearby Waitrose (super market chain) for more peanut butter, jelly, bread, and some snacks!

After dropping off our groceries at the hotel we walked to a nearby pub called Friend At Hand! For you musical fans, this pub is referenced in the musical CATS!

We both enjoyed another beer and a tasty steak and ale pie with chips and mushy peas!

While eating, I overheard a man at the table next to us say that he worked at Kansas State University! I had to say hello and let them know I went to the University of Kansas!

It ended up turning into a nice conversation for the rest of dinner talking about the Kansas City area, sports, and life (back to back days of Kansas recognition)!

It was really nice just spending a day running errands and feeling more like a local. It’s something I’m really looking forward to in the future when I’m able to spend a longer amount of time in each location!

Tomorrow we’ll get back to bopping around the city! But now it’s time for some more rest!

– Elie