I’ve had some pretty bad luck throughout my year of travels, but I’m not the only one. On my first trip to London, I went with my mom, sister and grandmother. It was a gift for my sixteenth birthday. My Meme is an intrepid traveler herself, having seen every continent, so she makes it a point to share the experiences with her family. I was excited to visit the land of Shakespeare, Harry Potter and Jane Austen, a city that would quickly become one of my favorites.
We’d been hopping our way around London using the Tube to see Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, but on one memorable afternoon, fate separated us. It was rush hour on the Tube, which many who have visited London know can mean a frantic rush to squish in the carriage before the sliding doors close. The same goes when you arrive at a station, as it’s a take no prisoners attitude when it comes to Londoners getting to and from work.
As we arrived at the station, Sammi, my mother and I hopped on, but my grandmother couldn’t push through the melee. We watched helplessly as she was left behind. We assumed that we could hop back on and meet her at the previous station before going back, but once there, we couldn’t find her. This is when we started to panic. What now?
My mom led us back to our Mayfair hotel to wait for her in hopes she would turn up, but we had her Tube card, which was needed to exit the station. After a few panicked hours, my mom prepared for the journey to the American embassy. She didn’t know how she would explain to my father that she’d lost his mother. I started to wonder myself, of how this once-in-a-lifetime trip could suddenly turn for the worse.
Thankfully, she turned up a few hours later. She’s a resourceful woman that we didn’t give enough credit to. After waiting for us for some time and realizing we wouldn’t be able to meet up again, she talked her way out of the train station before taking a taxi back to the hotel.
I remember the surreal moment when she casually strolled into our hotel room after what felt like hours but was probably only one. And my mom was relieved to return from her search to find her there, avoiding any consular crises and emergency phone calls home.
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