June 1: Edinburgh to London

London Train Station

I got to the airport without much stress and grabbed a little breakfast. The Ryan Air gate for my flight wasn’t posted so I waited outside security until it appeared on the flight manifest.

MISTAKE!

The second they posted the gate for my flight I went into security and saw a huge line.
BAH! My silly little TSA Precheck privileged ass isn’t used to actually having to wait in the hell of the security line anymore and panic was starting to set in – fast.

There were 10 people in front of me, the line was NOT moving, and I had 10 minutes to catch my flight. I talked to the security guy and he was nice enough to move me to another line. But THEN they had to “recheck” one of my bags….Ahhhh NO! Luckily, everyone was nice and I’m a fast runner.

I BOOKED it through the duty free section of the airport (that they specifically design to make you think you need more shit…which you don’t, you don’t need more shit…plus, the whole place smells like every kind of toxic chemical perfume shoved into a plasma that engulfs the longest hallway in the world that is then designed to slowly choke you to death with the heaviness of its scent as you’re running to catch a plane.)

Anyway, I continue to run with my backpack and my roller luggage, almost knock or a baby or two but they survive, and make it to my gate with a minute to spare.

The damn plane wasn’t even there….IT. WASN’T. EVEN. THERE.

Nothing like the anxiety of almost missing a plane that will give you a real cardio workout.

Commence standing in line for another 20 minutes, attempting to chat with some lovely Scottish people who are going to visit friends in England, as I’m panting trying to catch my breath.

The plane finally comes, we safely land in London-Stansted, and the weather in London is also stunning. I have no clue how I got so lucky with the weather on this trip.

But the second I landed in London, something felt off, the energy shifted a bit.

The train from Stansted to London was fine and a beautiful ride. We passed a couple cute cottages with flowers growing up the sides of the houses and when we arrived in London the sun was shining through the glass of the train station and it was totally stunning.

My timing with public transit in London goes downhill from there.