LONDON.

I went to London last weekend! Sorry for taking so long to talk about it, but better late than never, eh?

London was surreal. That’s the only way to describe it. I’ve been seeing iconic images of this place for as long as I can remember, and seeing those things in person was almost spiritual. It’s like listening to your favorite musician all day, every day, and then seeing that musician live. That musician is real. London is real. Amazing.

Visiting London felt different than coming to Ireland. I didn’t prefer London by any means, but I certainly had higher expectations for it than I did for Dublin. I expected something from London. I’m not sure what it was, but after a fulfilling weekend in the city, I feel like I found it.

Day one was spent doing the big stuff. You know, seeing Buckingham Palace, riding the London Eye, walking through the Tower of London and marveling at the ridiculous Crown Jewels… I loved everything. We finished the day with dinner in a Sherlock Holmes-themed restaurant. Everything was recreated to look the way Sherlock’s apartment would have looked. Obviously I loved that as I have an undying obsession with anything and everything Sherlock Holmes.

Day two was spent on more specific interests. For me, it was basically dedicated to two of my greatest fictional loves: Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter. I went to Baker Street, toured 221B, visited Speedy’s, a popular filming location for the BBC show, “Sherlock,” and finished the day by visiting Platform 9 and 3/4.

There’s so much more I’d like to share, but as always, that pesky word count is creeping up on me. I’ll leave you with some random musings about London:

• The Tube really is easy. People aren’t just saying that to make you feel better.
• There are tourists everywhere. You’ll meet more Americans in London than you will locals.
• London culture feels much more American. It’s louder and more direct. In Dublin I always feel like the loudest person in the room. Not so in London.
• Everything is crazy expensive.
• If you’re buying souvenirs from a vendor on the street, always try to talk the price down. 99% of the time it works.
• See the popular things, but don’t feel guilty for spending more time on things you’re passionate about, whether it’s Sherlock, Harry Potter, or something completely different.

When it’s all said and done, London was a brilliant experience — maybe my favorite so far — but it also made me appreciate about Dublin. I want to go back to London one day, but for now, I’m glad I decided to call Ireland my home.