Day 199

We come back to the USA tomorrow. TOMORROW. So how did we spend the last day of our trip?

We had a lovely day in London walking around and seeing the tourist sites with Nick's college friends Mike and Ari, as well as Ari's little brother Diego who was also in town. We saw Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, St. James Park, the Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Burrough Market, The Globe Theatre, the Thames, and St. Paul's Cathedral. It was such a fun day! We didn't go into any of the paid activities because prices are steep in London, but we loved just walking around with our friends and going for an adventure. It was so amazing to spend time, even just a day, with people with whom we are close and to be able to make plans to see them again soon in Buffalo. Thank you Mike, Ari, and Diego for showing us a lovely time and sending us off in style!

We are currently headed back to our hostel to pack and prepare for tomorrow's journey. We each have a range of emotions about the end of this trip, though it's safe to say that Nick has probably come to terms with this more than Rachel has. (Transitions are hard!) We're obviously both excited to see family and friends back home ("excited" doesn't actually do the feeling justice), but there is a melancholy feeling about this phase ending. Travel has become our life, but it was only ever temporary. And maybe that's why we loved it so much and were able to really take advantage of the opportunities for growth while on this journey. We're sad to say goodbye to this life, but we're also joyous to start the next chapter together. This has been a life-changing experience, and it has reaffirmed our commitment to each other. We look forward to sharing more stories from our travels and to making new memories with you.Read more