I bought a one-way ticket. Most of my possessions are in a small storage unit in North Carolina. I’ve moved seven times in the last 10 years. I haven’t accrued a lot of unnecessary belongings which is serving me very well at the moment. After an 11-hour direct flight from LAX to Gatwick Airport in London, I’m left with eight shirts, six pairs of shorts, a pair of jeans, sneakers, flip flops, my cell phone and camera. I’m extremely concerned about the accessibility of coffee at all times so I packed quite a bit of instant coffee. It’s not ideal, but I am not taking any chances! As crazy as this might sound, I think about waking up and making my coffee when I get into bed at night. It’s the little things — and not something I can go without on my trip.

I’m traveling light and I’m on a budget! For me, this trip is so much more about seeing new places, meeting new people and reflecting on my place in life and much less about excursions, pricey adventures and fancy dinners. I graduated college in three years so I missed out on any kind of study abroad experience. It’s something I have always regretted, but I was so eager to start my reporting career. Ten years later, I hope this planned career break opens my world to new people, new ideas and new ways to live an impactful life.

Even though I packed as light as possible, my bags felt annoyingly heavy as I traversed the airport, trains and streets of London after arriving. I’m already reevaluating my decision to carry two backpacks instead of one larger bag. Maybe it’s my jet lag? I made it across the London Bridge before ducking into Blank Street Coffee for a pick-me-up. The sign on the counter read: “FREE COLD BREW” Well, don’t mind if I do! And don’t mind if I ask “why!?” I only briefly held up the line chatting with the barista. Turns out, cold coffee drinks are not a thing in London — or Europe for that matter — and Blank Street was testing out new drinks to appease the droves of American tourists requesting iced coffees and iced lattes. I took a seat at the bar, still sweating from my stressful walk into the city center. I put my feet on top of my bags and took a glorious first sip as I looked out the window to a bustling city with beautiful architecture. Free coffee to start the trip? This must be a good sign. I like getting excited about small things. Then, it hit me. “I’m here! I’m freaking here!”

I had no issues getting to my hostel in London’s Elephant and Castle neighborhood. It was my first-ever hostel experience. I was a bit nervous but more excited to get a lay of the land. When I finally made it up to room 228 I thought I arrived to the wrong place. There were several large bags of trash and dirty laundry blocking the door. I laughed and snapped a picture.

I pushed through the door to find an empty room with four bunk beds. “Where are the other campers!” I laughed again. Truthfully, I was relieved to unload my limited belongings in peace. A few minutes later, a young girl with bright pink hair and clunky black boots busted into the room with a sizeable amount of luggage. Zoe, a 20-year-old from Georgia farming her way across Europe, became my first friend of the trip! Zoe explained she was raised in Georgia but she interned last summer at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. I just moved from Raleigh. Now, here we are standing in an 8-bed hostel room in London. The world can feel so small sometimes and it felt so comfortable in this moment having just flown across the Atlantic Ocean into the unknown. “I am going to get a drink at the bar downstairs if you want to join,” she said. Zoe is an aspiring florist who hopes to eventually grow her own flowers and sell them at markets somewhere tropical, maybe in Greece! “I’ve always loved bouquets and can’t take a walk outside without picking one,” she said. Zoe is taking a second gap year and bouncing from country to country, farm to farm, learning more about growing flowers, vegetable production, permaculture and caring for farm animals. We chatted over a drink, she gave me some London sightseeing recommendations and I went on my way.

I was jet lagged but way too excited to call it an early night. I purchased my first pass for the London Underground — or London Tube — and made my way to Greenwich Park to get some photos of the skyline. I was smiling ear-to-ear as I walked to the top of the hill. Not at the skyline and scenery but rather the people. People in groups, people reading books, couples holding hands, families having picnics. It was an idyllic Friday evening and hardly anyone was on their phone. It really is those small things — moments, observations, feelings — that can spark pure happiness and remind us of the joy in the world. It’s magic!

I walked several miles through Greenwich before stumbling inside the jam-packed Trafalgar Tavern which sits along the River Thames. With my daypack strapped to my back, I pushed through the crowd to the bar and ordered a drink. “Who shows up to the bar with a backpack!?” I thought to myself. I better get used to this. There was only one seat left at a shared table facing the river. “Can I sit here?” I asked the blonde-haired middle-aged woman drinking a glass of red wine and gazing out the window.

Cinzia, who goes by Cindy, lives full-time in Milan and she also owns a place in London. Today, she found herself sitting next to an American journalist with more questions than she was expecting. “Boring” is how she described America, where her sister moved decades ago and still lives in Hermosa Beach, California. Again, small world! I just spent a month in nearby Manhattan Beach with my brother and his girlfriend. Cindy likes to visit the U.S. but not for long periods of time. When I asked what she loves most about Milan and Europe, she said with a smile on her face, “The architecture. The history. The romantic atmosphere.” After about an hour, she stood up: “I have to go to the toilet now. Save my seat, please.” I questioned her with my good-natured sass: “Toilet? Is that what you say it Milan? Toilet?” She laughed and responded in the most endearing Italian accent while mocking my pronunciation of toilet: “Toilette. I’m going to the toilette. It sounds more French than toilet.” I busted out laughing. I really do have so much to learn.

When Cindy returned, we got talking about kids and young adults – the next generation. I told her I think often about the mental health of pre-teens and teens coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the support needed moving into the future to get back on track. Although, who’s to say we were ever really on track when it comes to prioritizing mental health and connecting people with resources. She, too, is worried about people’s outlook on life. “I’m still curious about the future but kids in Milan are not optimistic.” (If you’re wondering: Yes, I pulled out my phone to jot down direct quotes from our conversation) We snapped a photo and exchanged numbers. Cindy told me she would call when she made it to California in the fall. Before we parted ways, I asked her how she maintains her zest for life: “I still like to be surprised. The world is beautiful.”

I woke up early the next day. Not by choice. Four friends visiting from Wales didn’t get back to the hostel until 2 a.m. and they were talking and playing music loudly while Zoe and I were trying to sleep. I thought about asking them to be quiet but this was my first night and they were drunk strangers. This is also sort of what I signed up for choosing to “rough it” for the summer. Prior to this trip, I only read a few blog posts about hostels and watched some TikTok videos about people’s experiences. I packed earplugs but they did very little competing against the noise two feet from my pillow. Fingers crossed for better night sleeps.

I took the Tube a few stops to Victoria Embankment and walked along the River Thames while admiring Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster. I turned around and much to my surprise I saw Zoe walking towards me. “Oh, hey!” she said. This is the same Zoe from the hostel who slept in the same room as me last night. We’re now across town. What are the chances? I had no agenda. She had no agenda. So, we ended up spending three hours together walking from landmark to landmark, including Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

Zoe is well beyond her years. At 20 years old, she is smart, curious and not afraid to admit what she doesn’t know. She spent six years enrolled in a classical Greek-style of schooling in which kids would sit around a table and debate the Bible and philosophy. She learned to think before talking and to analyze her thoughts critically to develop well-established opinions. She learned to believe in things with conviction.

Zoe also made me realize how disconnected I am from Gen Z, teaching me how to use “slay” and “j chillen” (read: just chilling) in a conversation and reminding me that everyone is on TikTok nowadays. I’m becoming cooler already!

Having grown up in Georgia but attending a unique school setting, she longs for a more standard American college experience. “I want to go to frat parties and all that,” she said. It’s the small things, right? This fall, after eight months visiting 10 countries across Europe and working on nine farms, Zoe will begin her horticulture studies at the University of Georgia. When we parted ways, Zoe headed to the airport for her next farming assignment. I headed toward London’s famous Portobello Road Market where I couldn’t help but notice every stand selling bouquets of flowers. I smiled and thought of Zoe. It was one of those moments — a sign from the universe that Zoe’s dreams of becoming a florist will soon come true. I believe in magic!

[P.S.] I absolutely adore the English accent! “Really good fun!” is my new favorite expression.

Song Choice: Celestial/Ed Sheeran
England native Ed Sheeran wrote this song about his love for Pokémon, telling Rolling Stone, “I loved the cards, but the games are what I lost myself in. I loved the whole world they created; it kept me distracted if there was negative stuff happening in my life/school that I wanted to avoid.”

I’ve never been a Pokémon fan but I think the song’s message can be applied that thing in our lives — a hobby, person or other interest — that provides an escape. He sings, “We are designed to love and break and to rinse and repeat it all again.” We experience, we learn, we win, we lose, we grow. We have to be resilient and I think finding joy in small moments can help us find the light in dark times. “We were made to be nothing more than this. Finding magic in all the smallest things.”