It’s July 19, which means today is the day that I finally fly to London! I already had everything packed and all the logistics were taken care of, so the day has been relatively uneventful.

Warning: You are about to witness some of the most dramatic (yet extremely aesthetic) pictures ever. I’m giving myself a break though, because it’s my first time traveling to another country and, well, I’m a very dramatic person.

Last Supper in the USA

My parents both took a bit off time off today to hang with me and make sure I got to my flight safely. It was much appreciated.

First we got a quick lunch at True Food Kitchen in Mosaic District. I got the Poke Bowl, which I am ~obsessed~ with. Sooooooo good.

Next, my mom had to go back to work so I said goodbye to her first. Then, my dad and I went to the Mom & Pop coffee shop (say that 5x fast) just across the street. I got an iced coffee with oat milk — which I am obsessed with lately — and he got a matcha americano. For the record, his drink was way better and I’m getting that next time.

My dad has a strong affinity for taking my picture, especially when I’m in a silly mood. I call him the POParazzi. This one actually turned out okay?

At the Airport

I took this one on the way to Dulles Airport, when it finally hit me that I was going to be in another country in just a few hours. This is also when I started to freak out.

My dad and I like to get places really early, just in case anything goes wrong in the process. However, nothing did! Everything was moving really smoothly and my dad helped calm my nerves with his procedural thinking.

In the Air

Once we were in the air, all the nerves turned to pure excitement. The food was adequate, plus I had my first legal drink — drinking age is 18 on an international flight to London! I chose a red wine (tempranillo-shiraz, to be precise) and the flight attendant gave me an extra one for free to congratulate me. :’)

I’m finishing up this post from the couch of my dorm building lounge area and will be updating you a lot as the next 3 weeks go by. Keep up with me here, on the AIFS blog, and on my social media — Cheers!