06/26: It's amazing how quickly life falls back to normal after a nice long vacation. In general, getting away from home and work for a while has helped me to think a little more clearly. But that doesn't mean that the challenges of daily life become any easier or less important. And there are definitely lots of challenges, whether it's at home, at work, or in any other aspect of what I'm starting to see more and more is simply the typical adult life.

One big thing I had known about for over a month already but rarely talked about is that the Analyst interview results have come out - yes, much, much sooner than anyone I talked to before had predicted. Most people, including senior-level staff with plenty of experience, had told me they expected the final scores to be posted anywhere from July to August, if not even later. Then suddenly, about a week before going on vacation, I heard people in the office start running around announcing that the MA scores had come out and asking each other what they got. For some reason, my email was having problems at the time, so I wasn't able to check right away. (Honestly, the only reason I continue to put up with Yahoo's pathetic email service is that I don't want to go through the trouble and confusion of switching addresses.) But looking back, I'm actually quite glad things worked out that way.

My score is, well, not exactly flattering, to say the least. In fact, I'd say that it's probably twice as bad as what I had expected and hoped for. Everything that had taken place in the process of preparing for my interview had unquestionably pointed to a much better outcome. I really don't know what happened, or who I can point any fingers to. It baffles me that after so many close calls and seemingly divine interventions over all the little individual battles through several months that had brought me closer and closer to this moment, I'm now standing at the end realizing that the war is finally over, and that my performance is, at least to me, a disaster.

I'll be honest - a part of me wants to quit. I don't even know what I'd actually be quitting, but it's tempting for me to just give up trying in life, knowing that at this rate, the future will probably hold many more challenges that I want to even think about. But there's a few things I must keep reminding myself.

First, I can't truly appreciate and understand success unless I've tasted failure. And this really can't even be considered a failure; I've passed every required step and am now officially on the list to get the promotion. It's just that with a score so low, it would take a very long time before enough higher-scoring candidates are plucked from the list so that my name would be within reach. The worst-case scenario now would be that the list moves so slowly that I don't even get a chance to be hired by the time it expires a couple years from now. Most people believe that's not going to happen. But with federal budget cuts and many other factors that may affect the hiring flow over the next few years, you really never know. Either way, the point I must remember is that these times of waiting are sure to build my character and teach me to better appreciate what God has in store in the future.

Second, I must remember all the prayers that have led me to this point. It's way too easy to say a prayer and pretty much forget about it by the time God gives a definite answer, and that only shows my own lack of faith. Did I not pray numerous times that God would be glorified through my attitudes and responses regardless of the outcomes of each battle? Then I must remember that God, because He is good and faithful, has now answered those prayers with what He knows is best. A geniune prayer is one that acknowledges God's attributes, and if I trust God as my provider, then my faith should be strong regardless of whether or not He gives me exactly what I want. As my Creator, He knows my needs far better than I do. Who am I to insist on having things go my way?

Since the day I got my interview result, I had basically resorting to burying myself in my cubicle while at work, doing my job quietly and avoiding unnecessary social interactions that might lead to any mention of the interview. Being away on vacation for a week and a half definitely helped, and now I've more or less come to terms with the truth, whatever it may mean to me in the coming months and years. I've talked to a few people about it (and expressed my disappointment in myself), and some of those conversations serve as precious reminders that despite what I see as pretty much a failure, the truth is that I should really be very thankful.

The fact is I've really only been working for the City for just over a year. I was getting pretty much the same pay as I did at my old job, but in a less stressful environment and with new ways to exercise my strengths and grow in my weaknesses, better benefits/retirement, and a stable long-term career path that most people at my old job couldn't even have imagined. When I first started, the idea of getting promotions didn't even cross my mind. Everything just happened so naturally - I found out about the coming MA exam, joined a few peers in studying for it, and - poof! - here I am, with barely over a year's experience and already in line for a potential promotion that would push my pay above even those at my old job with management-level responsibilities. If this isn't enough to make me thankful, I don't know what the heck is wrong with me.

Sure, there's a lot to be concerned about in the future, mostly revolving around how to face increasing costs with an income that clearly won't increase fast enough to cover them. But I'm already much better off now than I would have been if God didn't lead me to this path in the first place. The point isn't for me to compare myself to others or ask a bunch of "what-ifs" to convince myself that things could have been worse, but rather to remember that the God I pray to is also the God who provides and the God who truly satisfies. I just have to remember to trust Him, and I pray for strength to continue doing so.

06/23: London Honeymoon

When someone tells you they just returned from their honeymoon, chances are you will eventually ask them how long they've been married - and not expect an answer along the lines of "almost two years". Those who were at my wedding might recall that Tiffany and I made no mention of any sort of vacation. It was simply because we didn't see ourselves actually going on one in the near future; she had just started a new job and was still on probation, and I was in a transition period in which finding a new stable job had to take precedence over additional major spendings. Well, shortly after she got her vacation days, I began my new job with the City, and it wouldn't be until after I completed a full year that I would receive vacation days. That milestone would come in mid-May, just in time to beat the busy summer travel season. Tiffany and I knew all along that this would be the perfect time for our long-awaited trip.

The only problem? Neither of us are particularly well-travelled, and just about all of our past travels have revolved around concert tours, mission trips, or other group activities in which everything was basically planned out for us and all we had to do was just be there and do what we were told to do. As more of the planner/organizer in our relationship, I knew that I would be responsible to figure out most of the details of our trip. But while I'd organized a handful of weekend getaways within driving distance for us, I had absolutely no clue where to begin when it came to international travel. Looking back now, I've definitely been quite sheltered. Everything from printing boarding passes to converting currency was rocket science to me. But some things need to be learned, and I knew that making this trip happen would definitely involve spending a lot of time outside of my comfort zone.

Truth be told, going to a big city in Europe wasn't anything close to what I had pictured for a honeymoon; I had always imagined something more along the lines of sitting at a beach under some palm trees and simply soaking in life's beauty. But the most important thing isn't where I go, but who I'm with. And given that Tiffany had always wanted to go to Europe, we agreed on London as our destination, simply because people there actually speak English, making things a heck of a lot less stressful for us.

That didn't mean things were actually easy though. Thanks to a trustworthy friend who offered us an incredible travel deal only to realize after over a month had passed that he had spoken too soon, we had to not only start over from scratch but also do so with far less time remaining. Plus, going to a destination as popular as London meant prices would be shockingly high for just about everything and that unless I did my research, chances are our collective lack of experience would make us fall into dozens of tourist traps in a time when we're already trying very hard to do everything within a budget.

Thanks to a few well-travelled co-workers that I frequently have lunch with, I learned a great deal about how to book flights and hotels. After much research to figure out a reasonable price range and specific priorities such as location and safety, I eventually found a perfect package on Expedia and sealed the deal. Many had suggested that we spend half our time in London and half our time in Paris to make the most of our trip. It was extremely tempting, but because of financial and logistical constraints, we decided to stick to just one place. With the dates, location, and eight-night (nine-day) duration of our stay now set, it was time to see how to make all the smaller (but far more interesting) details fit in place.

The next step - a lunch break visit to the bank. With a billion questions regarding currency conversion, credit card usage, vacation notices, security concerns, and all kinds of foreign fees and charges, I knew I had to have everything sorted out ahead of time. The banker, upon hearing that I was going to London, immediately recommended going to a restaurant called Nando's for some chicken. I wrote it down as something to consider during our visit.

Before I go any further, let me offer a shameless plug - the London Pass. After seeing that name pop up a bunch of times on various websites, I looked further into it and concluded that it would be the perfect choice for our trip. For starters, it's a pre-purchased pass for a set number of days during which you get pre-paid access (and sometimes even priority entry) to almost all of London's most popular destinations - museums, historic sites, gardens, tours of concert and sports venues, and much more. My suggestion to those considering the London Pass - First come up with a list of your "must visit" attractions, then see if they are included with the Pass and if the total cost of the attractions justifies the Pass price. Even if you fall short a little, it's worth it simply for the convenience and the recommendations it offers. We chose the six-day pass and had it mailed to us in the States. We also opted for the Travel option, which comes with pre-paid Oyster cards (London's equivalent of our TAP cards here in So-Cal), allowing us to hop straight on the Underground (commonly known as "the Tube") from Heathrow Airport to our hotel without any worries. In addition, we also got the optional Dining Guide pass, which, though far less reliable than the actual London Pass, was a steal considering how much money we saved through it.

We largely avoided booking actual organized tours, since this was, after all, our honeymoon, and we didn't want our schedule restricted by being told we had to be at certain places at certain times. However, there were a handful of one-day tours that we looked into. Tiffany was interested in a particular castle tour that I thought was rather overpriced. (Even a Disneyland ticket seemed cheap in comparison!) When I mentioned it to my friend and co-worker Anthony while having lunch one day, he commented that the price was enough to get us to Paris and back with plenty to spare. At first, I brushed it off, knowing we had already decided to stay in London. He proceeded to explain that a one-way EuroStar train ride to Paris takes just over two hours, and that a single day there is enough to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, visit the world-famous Louvre Museum, and enjoy a picnic dinner by the Eiffel Tower. I fell in love with the idea, and knew without doubt that Tiffany would too. In no time, our EuroStar tickets were booked.

I brought my London Pass guidebook to work every day and spent several lunch breaks reading it cover to cover, both to gain insight into places we planned on visiting and to learn about other places of interest that we could consider. Soon, our biggest problem became apparent - there were way too many things to see and do in way too little time. The problem with trying to suck every last dollar out of that Pass (thanks to my Asian nature) is that most major attractions are only open during normal business hours. Yes, the Pass actually has a maximum spending limit, but given the limited hours of most attractions, the only way to hit that limit is to basically bounce from one door to another just to say that you've been there without taking any time to actually make it count. I knew that Tiffany trusted me to plan the trip, but often turned to her for feedback, especially when time would only permit us to visit one of several similar destinations. At last, after countless hours and dozens of map and schedule drafts, I put together our itinerary consisting of a diverse range of activities and attractions, including both those frequented by tourists and those known mostly to locals, making the most out of our London Pass deals but still allowing us freedom in making changes and decisions as we pleased.

It's always fun surprising people by letting them know that we're about to embark on a journey to the other side of the world. Just over a week before our trip, a friend asked if we wanted to go out for afternoon tea sometime, and I casually told her that we already had plans for afternoon tea - in a royal park in England. It's amazing what a large range of responses I received when I told people I was going to London. I heard everything from joyful and confident wishes that we were going to have a great time to shockingly insensitive comments about terrorist attacks. Yes, there's no doubt safety has always been a concern to us. In fact, the Westminster Bridge attack took place just hours after we booked our flights! But it only serves as a reminder to us that there's really no place in this world that is completely free of danger, and that we must focus on trusting in God to lead each day of our lives as He knows is best.

The week before the trip was spent packing, making last-minute purchases including a neck-strapped passport carrier (once again thanks to my co-workers' suggestions, after I heard many people share stories of getting robbed while in Europe), consuming any food left in the fridge that would go bad by the time we returned, and watching documentaries about various places in London. We also stumbled upon the "Love and London" YouTube channel which taught us practical ways to adapt to London life and even pointed us to a unique spot to take photos.

I had imagined that since people in England also speak English, it would be easy for me to show up there and feel right at home. After doing some research, I was surprised at how many small but important things caught me off guard. Unlike at American bars, tipping is not expected in pubs. "Pants" are actually called "trousers". ("Pants" actually refer to underwear.) "Bathrooms" are simply called "toilets". (Why the heck do we bloody Americans call them "bathrooms" anyway!?) The name of that big ol' river flowing through the city is pronounced "Tems". Always bring an umbrella. Standing on the right side of the escalator is a rule people actually follow.

I also had my own set of stereotypes about London that would soon be either debunked or proven true. Everything in London is royal and somehow ties in to the Queen or some former leader. It rains all the time. Food sucks and is overpriced. Earl Grey tea is to die for. The history there is richer than Bill Gates. It's weird seeing everyone drive on the wrong side of the road. People say "bloody" all the time. Everything will look as awesome as is on TV and in movies.

Of course, most movies featuring London involve these familiar landmarks being blown to smithereens. We had just watched "London has Fallen" not long before beginning to plan for the trip. Thankfully, contrary to what the film may lead people to believe, all of those great landmarks are still there for us to see and enjoy. I personally love watching James Bond films and Top Gear / Grand Tour. In fact, through those shows I've actually learned quite a bit about England and gained valuable insight that contributed to this trip.

Before we knew it, the day came for our departure. We opted to take the Metro, with a free connecting shuttle from the Green Line to LAX. After all, it's only $1.75 a person, and anyone driving us to the airport and back would probably spend at least as much time on the road as we did on the trains. Josh kindly agreed to give us a ride down the street to the Metro station, saving us the trouble of walking with our luggages and feeling sweaty for the entire flight. At the airport, the process of checking in luggages and boarding our flight was largely foreign to us, but nothing that the average human being couldn't figure out.

Several people I had talked to were surprised that I managed to find direct flights both to and from London. It made me more thankful that we wouldn't have to waste any precious time sitting around waiting to transfer flights, especially given how much there was to do on this trip. It just happened that British Airways suffered a global system failure the day before our departure, causing massive delays and a bunch of cancelled flights. Thankfully, we had booked with American Airlines (and they were quick to notify customers via email that our flight to London was not effected by the issue). But this served as an excellent reminder that when it comes to travelling, there's always room for surprises.

Tiffany and I had never been on a plane together before. In fact, neither of us had been on a plane at all since we first met around six years ago. And now, we got to share the experience together - being thousands of feet above the ground, eating airplane food (which, surprisingly, wasn't bad), and picking random movies to keep us entertained, all so that we could travel halfway across the world to a place nowhere near where either of us had ever been before. Let the adventure begin.

Day One (Monday 5/29) - Upon arriving at Heathrow Airport, we were immediately fascinated by the way people spoke. One thing we had to keep reminding ourselves - People there don't have "British accents". First of all, English was first spoken by, um, the English. Plus, when we're in Britain, we're actually the foreigners - the ones with crazy American accents. Even the automated messages played on the Tube sounded awesome, and after having studied the Tube map religiously to avoid getting lost, I was surprised at how many station names I had been mispronouncing all along.

London's main subway system is called the Underground because most of it is, well, underground. That meant that we didn't really feel like we'd arrived until we exited the station nearest our hotel - Tower Hill. And wow, what a view it was! Even after having seen countless pictures of the Tower of London, its sudden presence before our eyes was still a surprise, one that would captivate us every day due to our close proximity to it. Our hotel, the Apex City of London, was just a couple minutes' walk from both the Tube station and the Tower. Upon entering our room, we were greeted with a plate of desserts welcoming us there. We also quickly located our free rubber duck - a unique quirk of Apex hotels. (Each hotel branch offers a different colored duck. Some travellers have been known to take their duck with them and snap photos of it at various destinations.)

After taking some time to get settled in, we went out for a quick walk to run a few errands. First stop - the ATM (better known there as "cash machines"). We didn't need a lot of cash on the trip, but we knew that having a few bucks - I mean, "quid" - would come in handy. Next, we dropped by the nearby Tesco Metro for some groceries. A quick tip for anyone travelling to a new country that wants to both feel at home and save a lot of money - hit up the local supermarket! We grabbed some bread for breakfast on days we didn't have time to go out to eat, along with some "crisps" (better known to Americans as "chips") and a few drinks. We ran into some problems using the self-checkout machines, but despite our apparent stupidity as foreigners, a store employee kindly helped us get everything straightened out. That's one thing that really surprised me - for a big city, people are incredibly patient and friendly, even to us stupid Americans.

It didn't take us long to realize that crossing the street was actually a bit scary. Sure, everyone just drives on the opposite side, so it's basically just a mirror image of what we already know. But there were several times when we stepped out into the street after looking to our left, only to be horrified upon seeing a humongous bus suddenly appear within inches on our right. I'm sure London drivers are used to clueless visitors like us. In fact, on most crossings they even wrote "look left" or "look right" on the ground just to make sure everyone knows what to do. Still, it definitely takes some getting used to.

For dinner, we kicked off our trip with a somewhat upscale meal in our hotel's Addendum restaurant - our first taste of London food. Thanks to our nifty Dining Guide pass that gave us 50% off all food (that's right, 50%!), we ordered one item from every section of the menu and ate to our heart's content. And contrary to what we had imagined, the food was actually very good! I ordered a steak, and Tiffany ordered "rump of lamb". Apparently that's a pretty popular British dish, since we saw it on the menu at several other restaurants we would visit. Our discount was more than enough to cover a couple glasses of wine to top things off.

After dinner, we decided to go for a quick spontaneous walk in hopes of returning to our room later for a good night's sleep to fight off any possible jetlag. After all, with a packed schedule starting tomorrow, there wouldn't be much time during the day to rest. We crossed the street and wandered around the Tower of London, the River Thames, and All Hallows by the Tower. The sidewalks were quite empty, probably because it happened to be a bank holiday in London. Still, the surprising lack of tourists gave us great opportunities to pull out our newly purchased selfie stick and snap a few photos together. London's very late sunset (compared to the U.S., at least), due to its latitudinal location (I think?), meant that even at 9PM, the sky was still somewhat bright. It was my first time using a selfie stick, and while it took some getting used to (especially when it came to angles and framing), I eventually got the hang of it. As the trip progressed, we would see more and more just how great of an investment that little gadget is.

Back in the hotel, it was time to wash up and sleep. Starting tomorrow, each day would be a new adventure in different areas of London, and only time would tell how everything would unfold.

Day Two (Tuesday 5/30): Waking up early in the morning wasn't easy, but we knew that starting off the day with breakfast was crucial to keeping us going throughout the day. Thankfully, Pret A Manger, one of London's most popular sandwich and coffee/tea shops, is probably more common there than Starbucks is in the States, and the closest one was just down the block from our hotel. It's a great place both for the many working professionals on their way to their offices and for hungry tourists like us looking for an affordable, tasty, and substantial breakfast. After getting our dose of food and caffiene, we hopped on the Tube and headed west to our first destination - Kew Botanical Gardens.

We got a little lost finding our way to the entrance from the Tube station and ended up taking a huge detour. Still, we arrived shortly after opening and were able to enjoy the Gardens with very few other people around. Like just about every other place we would visit, the Gardens have royal and historical connections. We not only enjoyed a long walk through the humongous property, but also learned a great deal about its history. There were plenty of attractions to visit, including a treetop walkway, a beautiful lake, and a palace. Three hours later, we were still far from seeing everything.

But with time pressing, we had to leave for our next destination - Kensington Palace. If you asked random Americans what the ideal stereotypical English life would look like at 2:30 in the afternoon, you'll probably get something along the lines of "sipping earl grey and eating scones in front of a royal palace". That's exactly what we did - at the Orangery restaurant in Kensington Park. Yes, the scenery was beautiful. And yes, the tea and food were both amazing. We were, to our surprise, introduced to a new kind of tea - "Lady Grey", basically Earl Grey with a fruitier flavour.

Just before our tea time, it started raining. Actually, it started pouring. Then five minutes later, it stopped. And by the time we went back outside, the sun had come out again. I assume this is pretty typical London weather. Still, I now understand why people say a sunny day in London is truly beautiful - the combination of blue skies, cool temperature, and seeming endless stretches of green begs people to come out and enjoy a walk or bike ride to soak it all in. We took some pictures at the nearby lake (simply named "Round Pond") and at the gorgeous Diana Memorial, then visited the Palace. Surprisingly, the walkways and bikeways in the park were far busier than the Palace itself. But that only gives us lucky London Pass holders a better chance to enjoy its many rooms, including the popular Princess Diana exhibit.

Tiffany and I had both known that this trip would involve a lot of walking. By the time we left the Palace, we began to understand what that actually felt like. And there was still much more walking to do. We stopped by the Royal Albert Hall and Memorial, then made our way to the northern end of Hyde Park where we bought some take-out dinner at... McDonald's. Yes, we came all the way to London to eat McDonald's. The reason? Sweet curry sauce. My guess is that it's inspired by the large local Indian population (just like how McDonald's in Asia has special menu items that cater to the people there). We enjoyed our curry-dipped McNuggets outside in front of the Marble Arch. (Another tip for travellers - look for good take-out food and places to picnic. You save money on food and also spend more time enjoying your surroundings.)

Our last stop for the day? Knightsbridge, home of the famous Harrod's department store. Getting there required - you guessed it - more walking, this time across the beautiful and humongous Hyde Park. For a big city, London sure knows how to set lots of green space aside! I honestly didn't understand why Harrod's is such a big deal for tourists until I actually got there. The place is unbelieveably big, and just walking through each section and each floor would probably take hours. The elaborate ornamentation inside looked like it could have come straight out of a fancy Vegas casino. We didn't have too much time there before closing time, but it was enough for us to wander around and leave with a can of loose leaf Earl Grey and a new bag for Tiffany before going back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.

Day Three (Wednesday 5/31): I've read in many places that riding the Tube during peak hours is complete pandemonium. Having experienced it myself, I can now say that it's not half as bad as LA's rush hour Metro trains. The crowding isn't as intense, and most people actually pay attention to their surroundings rather than hide in their own bubble and assume that the world will magically revolve around them. Tiffany and I had some of our Tesco goodies for breakfast in our room to save time, then Tubed our way to Trafalgar Square, the beginning (and ending) of what would be a day-long royal and historical journey.

We walked along the Mall (which is actually a fancy street - I'm guessing "mall" doesn't mean "shopping center" to Brits?), took pictures of/with various statues, monuments, and buildings, and eventually arrived at Buckingham Palace. Crowds were already forming in anticipation of the Changing of the Guard ceremony, and occasional parades of horses were already keeping people entertained. But there was still enough time for us to catch another nearby attraction - Wellington Arch. One cool thing I noticed about London is that a lot of the arches, bridges, and monuments aren't just for looks - you can actually go inside (for a price of course) and discover historical galleries and scenic viewpoints. It was pretty amazing to find ourselves out on the Arch's balcony standing just a few feet below the mighty statue at the top.

Back at Buckingham, the crowds have definitely multiplied. If you thought the Disneyland fireworks drew a big crowd, try watching the Changing of the Guard. We managed to get a good view from one of the Palace's side gates - It was a bit far from most of the action, but it sure beat trying to look over hundreds of other spectators' heads. One of the people next to us told us that based on the flag displayed above the Palace, the Queen was actually inside at the time. This was probably the closest we've ever been to Her Majesty.

Needless to say, we didn't actually get to meet the Queen. But we did see some of her royal coaches and horses, thanks to a tour of the Royal Mews just around the corner from the Palace. Those who think Cinderella's carriage is awesome really need to come here to see what a real carriage should look like. And no, these are not just pieces of history. Some of them still get used and are equipped with climate control, specially tuned suspension, and other modern amenities. It might be easier (and probably faster and less expensive) to just drive a Bentley. But you simply won't be half as cool.

We enjoyed a take-out lunch from (drumroll...) Pret A Manger right in front of Westminster Abbey before going inside. Those who love architecture and history will quickly find that this place has so much to offer both inside and outside that it's nearly impossible to soak it all in with one visit. I had always been one of those kids in school who reasoned that history classes were boring and somewhat pointless because everything we learned was far in the past and had little relevance to our current lives. But in England that's a whole different story. Royal families, palaces, castles... they play just as active of a role today as they did hundreds of years ago. In fact, as I write this, a new tower in the Abbey is being built for the Queen's next Jubilee.

Of course, that doesn't mean remnants of the past shouldn't be treasured. Thanks to being ahead of schedule, we were able to make a quick stop at the Jewel Tower, a remnant of the original Westminster Palace that was destroyed by fire. One thing we came to love more and more about our London Passes as the days went on is that just about everywhere we went, there were random attractions we could visit without having to pay anything extra.

We then wandered around Westminster Bridge, soaking in the beauty of the Palace, which includes the famous Big Ben. (Contrary to popular belief, "Big Ben" does not refer to the clock or the tower, but rather a bell inside the tower!) We took some pictures of the London Eye, but didn't take the time to go up since there would be other opportunities for us to see London from above. Next up - the Churchill War Rooms, another wonderfully preserved piece of history, which includes the actual underground rooms where Churchill worked and lived during World War II.

As the evening hours fell, we resumed our royal walk through St. James' Park, Duck Island Cottage, and the Horse Guards Parade ground. There really isn't a single corner in the area that doesn't have some sort of monument, statue, or other building of great significance. Tiffany took a picture with a random guard. I thanked him, and managed to get him to smile for about half a second before returning to his default pose.

At last, we returned to our starting point, Trafalgar Square. Except now, all the people in suits on their way to work were replaced by people (both locals and tourists) simply out to relax and enjoy the London night life. There was just one thing left on our agenda - dinner. For that, we walked a few blocks to the famous Piccadilly Circus (which I think of as London's equivalent to Times Square in New York - a festive area filled with lights, restaurants, shops, and of course, people.). After shopping around in a few stores (and getting lost without realizing it until we had gone about three times farther than we needed to), we finally found our destination restaurant - Nando's. Yep, the place that the banker recommended. It's actually not "British cuisine" at all, though the menu mentioned that they use "British chicken", whatever that means. Nando's is known for the Afro-Portuguese sauce used on their chicken. It's indeed a popular chain restaurant in the London area, and after trying it, I'm definitely not surprised. If I'm not mistaken, they (like Pret A Manger) already have some stores open in the States on the East Coast. If either restaurant ever opens a store in L.A., I'll definitely be there.

Day Four (Thursday 6/1): So far, each day on the trip had required us to wake up earlier than the previous. Thankfully, setting our alarm at around 5:00 this morning was as crazy as it would get. And thankfully, there was a good reason for doing so. Today was our long-awaited "vacation within a vacation", our one-day journey to Paris. That's right, just when we were finally getting used to people driving on the wrong side of the road, it's time to flip everything back around. Contrary to what I had originally imagined, EuroStar not only allows passengers to bring food and drinks, but even explicitly states that it's okay to bring alcohol. We brought some of our own goodies on board to enjoy for breakfast. Soon, we were staring at the picturesque French countryside. And before we knew it, we were in Paris.

This day of our trip was probably one of the most exciting and also one of the most daunting - exciting because, well, it's Paris, and daunting because our French is about as good as our Russian. I'm guessing people in major European cities don't use the phrase "excuse my French" to justify profane language, since chances are there would be someone right next to them who actually speaks French. But there were a few times where I found myself so confused and frustrated that I came quite close to putting my "French" to practice. It didn't take us long to conclude that most people in Paris are noticeably more unkind than people in London. (Someone pointed out to us that over the years, people in Paris have actually gotten much nicer!) Of course, coming from LA, it's really nothing new to us. Besides, we only had one day in Paris (and it was a shortened day to account for the train ride from and back to London), so we simply wanted to make every moment count.

Our first stop - the gorgeous Notre Dame Cathedral. We didn't have time to go inside, but a walk around the iconic building allowed us to soak in its external glory. For lunch, we crossed the river and swung by the nearby Laduree for some gigantic macarons, then enjoyed them while sitting by the river watching boats pass underneath the "Lover's Bridge". Yes, that's the famous bridge that people like to hang locks on. No, there are no locks on it anymore. (For those who didn't know, the locks had to be removed last year since they were causing structural damage to the bridge.) Still, it's nice to know now that at least we've been there.

Most of the afternoon was spent inside that fortress/palace right across the river, better known in modern times as the Louvre Museum. Whether you see the building from up close or from afar, you'll know one thing for sure - it's absolutely humongous. I had known that the Louvre Museum was inside that property somewhere, most commonly accessed through the iconic glass pyramid in the middle. But it wasn't until we grabbed a map of the museum that we realized the museum actually takes up basically the whole building, plus a few underground floors. Even if there's nothing to see at all, just walking through the whole place can take hours.

But of course, there's plenty to see inside, including the Mona Lisa, pretty much the most famous painting in existence. It didn't help that much of the information on the various art pieces was in French. But several exhibits had English translations, and just seeing everything in the flesh was enough to leave us amazed. From paintings to scultures to royal china, it would take far more than the few hours we had to see it all. But what we saw was more than enough to leave us feeling enlightened, educated, and entertained.

A couple things to point out for those who haven't been to the Louvre - First, it's pretty much a giant maze, even with the (English) map. It took us about 15-20 minutes upon entering the main lobby (beneath the pyramid) to find the actual entrance to the museum exhibits, and it took us over half an hour to get from where we thought was near the exit to the actual exit after following countless "sortie" ("exit" in French) signs that seemed to lead us in circles. I guess the French were never known to be particularly fast-paced people anyway. Second, that big glass pyramid, beautiful as it looks, pretty much works like a giant magnifying glass. Remember how kids used to fry ants on the ground using magnifying glasses? Well, when you're inside that pyramid, you become those ants. They can't make it too easy for people to see the Mona Lisa, right?

Speaking of heat, the temperature in Paris was shockingly hot - like worse than T-shirt and shorts hot. And no, we didn't bring any t-shirts or shorts on the trip, since the weather forecast had shown prior to the trip that temperatures would rarely rise above the low 70's. And it was supposed to rain in Paris. It was tempting for us to complain about the unexpected heat, but we soon realized that given our limited time both in London and in Paris, we'd take this heat over rain any day. In fact, we realized that we're almost halfway through our trip already and contrary to what seems to be a typical London experience, rain had never been a problem for us.

Upon (finally) finding our way out of the museum, we caught a glimpse of the famous Arc de Triomphe, then proceeded with our long walk along the river. (There was only time for one last destination, and it's no surprise what it was!) We had known that the walk would be long and exhausting, but the heat only made things more intense, and we took frequent breaks to rest (and take pictures). Like I said earlier, it definitely beat being stuck in rain. At one point, I had considered using public transportation to get us to the Eiffel Tower. But come on, how often to I get to enjoy a romantic walk with my wife along a beautiful river in Paris?

Soon, the iconic tower appeared in the distance. We stopped by a local bakery, Le Champ de Delices, to pick up some bread and drinks. Then we arrived at Champ de Mars, found a comfortable and shaded place to sit down, and enjoyed our simple picnic dinner with a lovely view of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, we eventually made our way to the big field by the base of the Tower where most of the other tourists were sitting. We joined them for a while to soak in the beautiful view, though it also really made me appreciate how we had managed to have our picnic in an almost entirely undisturbed area - pretty much just us, our food, the Tower, and a few hungry birds that attempted (with no success) to have a share of our food.

Then came our journey back home. Fine, London really isn't our "home". But leaving for a day and going back would only serve to make us feel more at home there. I had already figured out the RER (subway) system in the morning while getting from Gare du Nord (the EuroStar terminal point) to the Cathedral. But the big challenge came when the RER took us back to Gare du Nord and we found ourselves inexplicably lost. The problem with subways is that since you're underground, it's easy to lose all sense of direction when you arrive at a station. We followed what we thought were the right signs, only to find ourselves at a ground-level station entirely separate from the main train station where we were supposed to be, having to somehow navigate our way back to the EuroStar terminal using a bunch of French street signs. Sure, it was much less puzzling than finding our way out of the Louvre. But there was also more pressure, since we had a train to catch back to London.

I'm quite amazed that we actually found our way to the train on time. But it didn't really matter in the end, since our train ended up delayed by over an hour thanks to mechanical issues. I was so out of breath by that point that the hour of sitting on our train waiting actually flew by. In the end, an announcement was made for everyone to exit and board a different train in order to avoid further delays. It was nearly midnight when we got back to London. But we really can't complain; we soon received an email from EuroStar offering a partial refund for the inconvenience. (They had also offered hotel and transportation accomodation for those who needed it.) Sure, we lost a little sleep. But we sure appreciate the good service and the extra lunch money!

Day Five (Friday 6/2): We'd pretty much managed to fight off jetlag completely by now, though waking up early with very little sleep was always a challenge. For breakfast, we went to the nearby Costa Coffee, a popular chain similar to Starbucks in the States. (They had Starbucks too, but why not try something more unique to the area?) The coffee, tea, and sandwiches, just like those at Pret, were both tasty and a good bang for the buck. (Sorry Brits, "bang for the quid" just doesn't sound as nice.) Plus, we had an amazing second-story window view of the Tower of London. It must be nice to enjoy your casual morning coffee every day while gazing at a castle!

Then came what was, by now, a familiar routine - hopping on the Tube at Tower Hill to begin a new day's adventures. With plenty of art, architecture, and history filling our heads after the past several days, it was time for a quick deviation. Our first stop - an impromptu visit to Paddington Station to see a particular bear named after it. Yes, Paddington Bear was actually named after the station. Yes, there's a statue of him there. And yes, petting the statue is supposed to be good luck. I can imagine how frustrating it might be for people working at the station who expect to help passengers find their train platforms, only to be asked time after time "where's the bear?" Yes, we kindly contributed to that cause. (After yesterday's adventures, we really had no intention to get lost again!)

The only problem with the bronze Bear statue is that, well, it's only a statue. But our next stop just happened to be the ZSL London Zoo, where animals are not only real, but also amazingly up close and personal. Monkeys walked on ropes just feet above our heads. There was even a room where giant spiders hung on webs right over us with nothing inbetween. I'm scared of spiders, but it was an experience too good to miss. We saw just about everything from penguins to tigers, sea horses to komodo dragons. And since it was a Friday morning, there weren't too many people. In fact, just about everyone we encountered there seemed to be locals; even though the renowned Zoo is listed in the London Pass, most tourists are probably too busy visiting all the royal historic buildings to care about the poor animals. We're glad we chose differently, though we had to leave after a few hours to move on to our next destination.

Not that we're complaining though. It was 2:00 already and we hadn't had lunch yet, meaning it was the perfect time for - you guessed it - afternoon tea! We went to Tea and Tattle, a small family-owned shop hidden in the basement of a hundred-year-old bookstore. In contrast to the Orangery at Kensington where we had our last afternoon tea, this place offered much more of a cozy, feel-at-home atmosphere. Out of all the restaurants we ate at on our trip, this was one of the most welcoming - they kindly explained the menu to us multiple times despite our confusion (that's what happens when you spend a whole morning with a bunch of animals!), and even greeted us with a hand-written card (since we had made a reservation). The tea and the food, as expected from afternoon tea in England, was amazing. And if you ever go, be sure to try the fresh-made lemonade, too!

Our next destination was located right across the street - the British Museum. It's not Louvre big, but it's humongous nonetheless. And the displays are no less impressive, with Samurai armors, Egyptian mummies, Parthenon statues, the Rosetta Stone, and much more. And everything is in English! Having spent hours both at the Louvre and at the British Museum, we felt like we'd travelled not just across Europe, but across the whole world, and also across time. Not many people can say that about their honeymoons.

Before hopping back on the Tube, we stopped by the Primark store that Tiffany had noticed earlier while walking toward the Museum. We had never heard of Primark prior to this trip, but over the past several days we had seen several people walking around with Primark shopping bags and figured it must be a popular place. I guess it's sort of like an H&M or Forever 21, but bigger. The only thing that prompted us to leave at the end was the super long line for the fitting rooms. It was a Friday evening, after all!

Next stop - Covent Gardens, another one of London's popular and festive shopping/dining districts. Thanks to the highly practical and informative "Love and London" YouTube channel, we found a gorgeous spot nearby to take photos of a statue with five red telephone boxes. We also snapped a few pictures in front of the Royal Opera House. One thing we had quickly discovered about London (and Paris too, actually) is that wherever you go, you'll randomly run into a historically significant building, a statue of somebody very important, or just something random that's royal. We often took pictures of random buildings or statues we neither recognized nor had time to go up close to read more about. Guess we should start doing our research now that we're back home!

For dinner, we chose the nearby Browns restaurant, labelled as "contemporary British cuisine". We thought of it as London's equivalent to something along the lines of T.G.I. Friday's or Cheesecake Factory - not too cheap but also not too high-end, a perfect way to experience what British food is actually all about. Yes, they had fish and chips, but we skipped it in favor of trying less stereotypical dishes, namely a lobster risotto and a fish pie. We got some cocktails too, just because we could. We were quite amazed at how well both dishes tasted, definitely disproving our former notion that British food is bad and overpriced. Of course, we had to remember that with the currency conversion rate, things tend to "look" cheaper than they actually were. But it's really not too bad compared to prices back at home. It's still quite hard for us to pinpoint exactly what makes food "British" (unlike French or Italian cuisine, which are often closely associated with specific ingredients.) But whatever it is, we like it.

We got off the Tube one stop earlier on the way back to our hotel in order to restock our groceries at Tesco. Upon exiting the station, we were surprised to find ourselves right in front of the Monument. (For those who don't know, even though there are lots of monuments in London, "The Monument" refers to the Monument to the Great Fire of London, an iconic tower now often hidden by buildings that have risen around it over the years.) We had planned to visit the tower - and climb to the top - in a few days.

Day Six (Saturday 6/3): I had read back at home while selecting our hotel that because it was located in the financial/business district of London, the surrounding area would be very quiet during off-work hours and weekends. (Some nearby markets and department stores apparently don't open on weekends at all!) Still, I was surprised by how quiet it really was. While walking back to our hotel on weeknights, we encountered few people other than the occasional crowd gathered in front of pubs or bars. And this morning, we were pretty much alone for the entire walk to our first destination - St. Paul's Cathedral.

We had eaten breakfast in our hotel room to save time and get to the Cathedral early, allowing us to enjoy it before the crowds arrived. Just like at Westminster Abbey, photography is not allowed inside St. Paul's. It always seems like a bummer at first, but after a while, I start to see that making people put their cameras away actually allows them to focus more on soaking in all the beauty surrounding them. And when it comes to cathedrals, it really makes you feel like you're in a sacred place. We ended our stay with the long climb up to the dome - tiring, but definitely worth it, both for the exercise and for the amazing view.

Our plan for the weekend was to spend most of our time in the area closer to our hotel, mostly within walking distance, visiting several attractions we had seen from afar but not yet entered. After St. Paul's, we made our way toward Tower Bridge. The scenic walk took us around the Tower of London, allowing us to see the famous castle from new points of view. The weather was perfect for taking pictures - blue skies, green grass, and some of London's most iconic buildings.

Many people mistake Tower Bridge for "London Bridge", simply because it's the most instantly recognizable bridge in London. (The current London Bridge, which is just west of Tower Bridge, is far more plain-looking. For those who don't know, the original London Bridge which it replaced is actually, ironically, in the U.S. now.) While many people think of bridges as simply a way to get from one side to the other, those who designed and built Tower Bridge clearly thought of it as an opportunity to create an artistic and technological masterpiece. We got to go inside the bridge, enjoy the city view from the upper walkway which even includes a glass floor to look down at the river, and see the engines that enable the bridge to open for larger boats to cross.

Speaking of the bridge opening, we were very lucky to overhear one of the workers say that the bridge's next scheduled opening (to let a boat pass through) would be at noon - exactly when we planned to leave to go have lunch. So of course, we stayed a little longer to enjoy the "show". It was easy for us to get the best spot to watch the action up close on the sidewalk, simply because most people didn't know the bridge's schedule. (It was actually kind of fun watching all the tourists start going crazy and whipping out their cameras once they saw the bridge moving!) The bridge raising was a well-coordinated task, with officers closing gates to stop both street and sidewalk traffic. Given the necessary safety precautions and the size/weight of the bridge, it was amazing that the whole process was complete in just a few short minutes. I had imagined it to be one of the most agonizing situations for drivers who are commuting to work across the bridge to be stuck in. (And for those who are running a little late, I'm sure it actually is. After all, you'll never win the race against the Big Ben!) But trust me, I've sat through train crossings that are at least twice as long.

Before lunch, we took a break from typical tourist activities and enjoyed a walk at the lovely St. Katharine Docks. It's literally right next to Tower Bridge (and the Tower of London), but so well hidden that no tourists know it exists. (This is why you have to do your research before travelling!) On Saturdays, there's also a festive farmer's market nearby, and that's where we chose to have lunch. After all, you really can't say you have a complete cullinary experience in a new country until you've tried its street food. Tiffany and I each chose a vendor, bought food, and enjoyed it while sitting by the river and gazing at the Bridge.

Then came time for the castle. Yes, after walking by the Tower of London so many times, it's finally time to go inside its walls. We had watched a documentary of the Tower prior to the trip, and now we got to experience it in person - the rooms, the ravens, and of course, those Yeoman Warders. It must be hard to find a proper balance between protecting the country and entertaining thousands of visitors! Unsurprisingly, the biggest attraction was the Crown Jewels - more royal bling than I ever knew existed outside of Disney princess movies.

One good thing about being near our hotel was that, with a little time to spare before dinner, we were able to return to our room for a break. As crazy as it seems, this was actually the first full day on this trip where we got to see our room in the middle of the day. The quick break allowed us to not only rest and wash up a little, but also get dressed a little more nicely for our nighttime event.

Up to this point, pretty much everything we'd done (aside from meals) involved walking, walking, and some more walking. To keep things fresh, we bought tickets for something that involved more (drumroll...) sitting and watching - A live performance of Shakespeare's "Othello" at Wilton's Music Hall, a small and easily-overlooked building with hundreds of years of history hidden in an alley not far from our hotel. Oh, and they happen to have a great bar that also serves food. Needless to say, we treated ourselves to some drinks and a simple (but delicious) pizza dinner before the show.

This was another one of those places that tourists don't even know exists. I had pre-ordered our tickets online back at home, and when we showed up at the will-call desk and I said my name, the staff seemed to know right away that we were the two Americans attending the show. Pretty much everyone at the bar and at the play was a local, and part of the excitement of the whole experience was simply knowing that we were now fully immersed in the local culture. To my great surprise, I didn't hear a single person say "bloody".

The play itself was amazing too. Not that we had watched all that many plays before - at least not ones with professional rather than student actors. Many reviews had boasted that this was one of the best performances of "Othello" out there, and I'm really not that surprised. After all, it's London, and we're watching Shakespeare - I can't think of another place where the standards should be higher. We had met a New Yorker on Wednesday while watching the Changing of the Guard who told us he had just seen a performance at Shakespeare's Globe, which, for those who don't know, is an open-air (read: not weatherproof) venue requiring most guests to stand. When I told him about the play we booked, he was surprised it exists and looked it up on his phone right away. Tonight happened to be the final night of the "Othello" performance, so hopefully he was able to get tickets too.

On the short walk back to our hotel, we saw several police cars driving by. I figured it's nothing surprising, given we were in a big city late on a Saturday night. It wasn't until we returned to our hotel and had wi-fi access that we realized maybe those officers were actually having an unusually stressful night; a terrorist attack had just taken place on the other side of London Bridge, only about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. Sad to say, but it seems like such incidents are now a typical part of being in a major European city. We had known all along that our choice of visiting London would involve some risks. Still, we had no idea just how close we would be to the odds working against us. We were thankful to be safe, and spent some time praying for those involved in the incident.

Day Seven (Sunday 6/4): The streets near our hotel were even quieter than they were yesterday morning. For long stretches of the major streets, there were times when not a single car or person could be seen. We enjoyed another breakfast at Costa Coffee, with the now-familiar view of the castle from the window. Except this time, the flag on top of the White Tower was on half staff, reminding everyone of what had happened last night.

We were the only customers at Costa, and while chatting with the barista (who I believe is the manager), we came to an interesting discovery - there's no such thing as "Royal Milk Tea" in England, despite its popularity in the States. They have the same drink, but it's simply called "Earl Grey with milk". She was quite surprised to learn about our seeming catchier name for the beverage, too. And now she will probably forever believe that in America, we really think anything related to England is essentially royal.

Our first attraction of the day was the Monument. We arrived a few minutes before opening and took some pictures outside. Several other visitors eventually showed up and were equally confused after waiting for a while, until someone came and put up a sign saying the Monument would be closed for the day. It's really not all that surprising, given that London Bridge, which was still blocked by police, was right around the corner.

We took a scenic walk along our side of the river back toward the castle. From a slight distance, London Bridge was eerily quiet, with not a person or vehicle in sight other than a line of six empty red double-decker buses, which must have been evacuated after the attack and left for investigative purposes. I realized then that it might be in our best interest to change our plans for the rest of the day. We had originally intended to go across the river after lunch and see the many interesting buildings and bridges on the south side, including London's iconic City Hall, The Shard, Shakespeare's Globe, Blackfriars Bridge, and Millenium Bridge, plus a visit to the HMS Belfast. With the Monument closed and London Bridge blocked by police, it was likely that the south side (where the attack actually took place) would have even more street closures, and that the Belfast may be closed for the day as well.

We had planned to catch City Cruises' "hop-on, hop-off" boat down the Thames to Greenwich for lunch, then return to our starting point (Tower Pier) for the HMS Belfast. Thanks to our London Passes (and the fact that I had read the entire guidebook even knowing that we wouldn't get to visit most of the attractions listed), we worked out a new plan to spend the rest of the morning and the afternoon in Greenwich, away from the area directly affected by the attack, then catch a boat all the way down to Westminster, allowing us to see the attractions we wouldn't get to visit from the water instead.

On the quiet but scenic ride to Greenwich, we had the upper deck of the boat almost entirely to ourselves, allowing us to easily take lots of pictures as we cruised by areas on the eastern side of London that we had not yet seen. We knew we were approaching Greenwich Pier when the mast of the Cutty Sark began appearing in the distance. For those who don't know, the Cutty Sark is a historic tea clipper ship now turned into a museum exhibition. And yes, that's exactly where we went first. We climbed to the ship's deck and were even taught how to use actual navigation tools used by the sailors. Sure, it's easier nowadays to just open the compass app on an iPhone. But as we've seen many times on this trip, there's something very admirable about understanding how much effort people once had to go through to achieve results that are easily taken for granted today. The deck offers a great view of the pier, with a small stage where a live band was performing, and the nearby Royal Naval College.

We took a walk through the College afterwards. Let me state one fact that should be obvious to anyone who knows the area - Greenwich (which is apparently pronounced "Gren-itch" rather than "Green Witch") is absolutely beautiful, and the more you see there, the more beautiful it gets. The historic buildings, the large expanses of green, and the view of the Thames made me wish I was a student or local resident who had all the time in the world to just wander around and enjoy the atmosphere.

Our lunch reservation was just down the street at Bianco 43 Ristorante. I realized as our trip progressed that in London, European food in general is probably better than what we usually get in the States, simply because it's much more closely linked to various European cultures. And thanks to Bianco 43's amazing authentic Italian magic, I don't think we can ever see pizzas and tiramisu the same way again.

A big lunch calls for a big walk, so we headed toward the Royal Observatory in nearby Greenwich Park. Looking back, I realized that for pretty much the entire trip so far, everywhere we'd walked was essentially flat land with little or no elevation change. But of course, observatories tend to be on top of mountains, so there was some climbing for us to do. The walk made us love Greenwich even more - the elevated view of the park, the college, the river, and the city on the other side was simply unforgettable. The clear blue sky only helped enhance the view. In the past four days, there hadn't been a single drop of rain over our heads.

The Observatory (which, like just about everything else here, is royal) is probably most famous for the Greenwich Meridian. I'd never seen so many people take selfies with, um, a line on the ground. While much of our trip so far had revolved around arts, architecture, and nature, the Observatory helped round things out a little with some math and science - telescopes, timepieces, and a "camera obscura". I read the information for the "camera obscura" three times, but still didn't quite understand how it works.

The walk back down the hill was just as beautiful as the walk up. With some time left to spare, we swung by the nearby Fan Museum. (Gotta love how everything here is in close walking distance!) Yes, there's actually a museum entirely dedicated to fans - antique fans, collapsible fans, artwork on fans, artwork of fans, you name it. The "museum" is really just one small room (since most fans really don't take up all that much space), plus some paintings in the lobby. But given how many small special-interest museums there are in London, it was great that we got to enjoy at least one.

We then wandered around the festive Greenwich Market and the visitor center by the Naval College. We also returned to the Cutty Sark gift shop to buy something we had seen in the morning but didn't feel like carrying around all day - a set of three boxes of loose-leaf teas - Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and (royal drumroll...) Lady Grey! (We were surprised that, having visited so many shops in London, this was the first to offer the distinctive flavor we first discovered at The Orangery on Tuesday.) Even the boxes are ornamented with silhouettes of London landmarks - a perfect souvenir to take home.

Back on the City Cruises boat, we passed by the same familiar sights that graced our morning ride to Greenwich. It just happened that we approached Tower Bridge right as it opened up for a taller boat to pass through. Within seconds, everyone was whipping out their selfie sticks. We took a few pictures too - some of my favorites from the trip. Being at the right place at the right time couldn't get much better than this.

We stayed on the boat at Tower Pier to continue the journey to Westminster. The boat got much more crowded, probably because everybody and their mothers wants to go to Westminster. Plus, the boat heading there passes by many significant landmarks. Even while sitting at Tower Pier, we got to enjoy views from the river of City Hall (which looks more suitable as a headquarters for S.H.I.E.L.D. or Stark Industries than a municipal government building) the HMS Belfast, and the unmistakable Shard.

When we passed through London Bridge, the six red buses were still sitting there lifelessly. Not much was said among the crowd, but I'm sure most people were well aware of what happened. The journey proceeded to take us through several other significant bridges, offering views of Shakespeare's Globe, a famous old pub, and a bunch of statues and monuments I can't remember anymore. (Trust me, there are way too many!)

Soon we approached the most recognizable sites of Westminster - the London Eye and the big clock tower, which has so much gold ornamentation that it looks like it's actually illuminated. Our plan was to catch the Tube from there to our dinner destination, but apparently much of the Circle/District Lines were closed for scheduled maintenance (unrelated to the terrorist attacks). One thing I love about the Tube, though, is that in the (rare) occasion of delays or service interruptions, on-board announcements and helpful staff at each station make sure passengers are informed of their best options. (Even though it seems like common sense to keep customers properly informed, I'm pretty sure everyone who uses the LA Metro regularly knows what it's like to be left in the dust.)

In this case, we were told to board Bus #15 to continue our journey. Sure, boarding a bus is almost always a bit more confusing than boarding a train, and it took us a while to find the right place and right bus to get on. But I'm sure we could have asked for help and found the answer a lot more quickly. After having spent enough time wandering the streets of London on foot, a part of me had actually wished for a chance to experience being on the road in "wrong-way" traffic. It's funny how God sometimes answers my little unspoken prayers! Plus, riding one of those red double-decker buses is really an integral part of the London experience.

The only problem was that we didn't really know which stop to get off at, and buses don't necessarily pull over at every stop unless someone needs to get on or off. A gentleman sitting near us heard us discussing our confusion and kindly offered to help. We'd encountered numerous situations throught our trip where strangers made visitors feel welcome by offering to help with directions. It's definitely one thing we love most about the people in London.

It turned out that by that point, our bus had already passed our destination. Thankfully, we were already familiar enough with London that we knew where most things were relative to major landmarks. So when we saw the unmistakable dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, we hopped off the bus before it took us even farther in the wrong direction.

Our dinner reservation was at Chambers, the upscale restaurant inside the Apex Temple Court hotel. Yes, it's the same hotel chain as the one we were staying at. Yes, we got a 50% off food deal here as well. And yes, the food was essentially the same as our first dinner on Monday despite the different restaurant name. Not that it bothered us though; we had known it all along, and we were assured that anything we craved on Monday's menu but didn't order would make its appearance during tonight's dinner. This time, we went lighter on the appetizers and salads but saved room for some delicious desserts. We also treated ourselves to some cocktails. My choice? A Vodka Martini. Because it would be a sin for any James Bond fan who goes to London to leave without a Vodka Martini.

Tiffany was quite fascinated by Apex hotels' love for rubber ducks. So after dinner, she actually went to the front desk to ask what color their branch's duck was. The staff was too kind (and I'm sure Tiffany's lovely smile helped too); after telling us their ducks were red, they immediately pulled one out and gave it to her. Her excitement was priceless.

It was pretty cold outside, but given that we already knew the way back to our hotel, we decided that walking back would probably keep us warmer than standing around waiting for another #15 bus (and possibly missing our stop again.) We passed by St. Paul's Cathedral again and took advantage of the late sunset to snap a few more selfies there. We also passed right in front of the police line at the foot of London Bridge, where officers were still hard at work and many people had left flowers on the sidewalk in honor of those who lost their lives. May God continue to grant peace and comfort to their families and friends. And may we always remember that life, even during special occasions like our honeymoon, is about so much more than just ourselves.

Back in our room, we united our new red duck with our existing brown duck (I thought Apex City of London's duck should have been yellow?) and took a few pictures of them together in front of the boxes of tea we bought earlier. We were also pleasantly surprised to find some desserts sitting on the table courtesy of the hotel. It was a great way to end both the night and the weekend. Sure, the majority of the day didn't go anything like I had originally planned. But sometimes, it's the surprises that make an adventure most memorable.

Day Eight (Monday 6/5): Both our London Passes and our Dining Guide pass had now expired. In other words, most of my work to carry out pre-arranged plans was done, and it was time for me to take a step back and simply be a typical tourist. Today was the last full day of our trip, and the only day in which we actually booked a pre-arranged tour, taking us a few hours out into the countryside for an entirely different experience of England. It was also the second earliest we had to wake up in the morning (topped only by the day we went to Paris). We ate a simple breakfast in our room, then took the Tube to the coach station where we boarded our double-decker tour bus. Of course, we sat on the top, because, well, why wouldn't we? Our guide was both entertaining and informative, and not only because we love hearing British English. Among the many things he explained to us was a little history lesson that helped clear up the difference between "England', "Great Britian", and "United Kingdom" in a way that I could finally wrap my head around.

Our first stop was Windsor, most commonly known for, of course, Windsor Castle. Like the Tower of London and several other sites we visited, the Castle is not just a historical museum or monument, but a current and active royal facility. Our group, consisting of around 70 tourists, arrived well before opening hours. When the doors opened, it took a good half an hour just to line up and clear security. But our guide was definitely right in saying that if we had arrived any later, the line would only be much, much longer. Inside the Castle gates, we got to see some beautiful gardens and immaculately maintained courtyards. We also got to enter the part of the building that was open to public, consisting of everything from shiny royal furniture to a giant handmade dollhouse that puts any of Barbie's residences to shame. The Castle also has its own cathedral, though time didn't allow us to go inside. The problem with tours is that you're required to be at certain places at certain times. (And yes, our bus actually had to ditch a single guest who, after a long wait and numerous communication attempts, never returned to the bus. Either that, or the tour guide simply made up the story to scare everybody into being more punctual.) But there's probably no easier way for tourists like us to experience so much of the countryside in a single day.

I had said earlier that all of the culturally and historically significant things we witnessed over the past week had left us feeling like we'd already travelled across the world and throughout time. But there's always room to take things to the next level, right? Our next stop took us farther back in time than we dared to comprehend - somewhere around 3000 to 2000 BC - to the giant prehistoric rocks we know as Stonehenge. Many people I had talked to before the trip didn't even know Stonehenge was in England. I personally didn't associate Stonehenge with London until earlier this year when I watched an episode of The Grand Tour that linked the two together. After all, people back in 3000 BC didn't even have a written language, so it wouldn't have seemed all that different if Stonehenge were actually in Uzbekistan.

It was on the bus ride there that we experienced, for the first time on our whole trip, prolonged rainfall. There was still a little rain when we arrived at Stonehenge, but it soon stopped long enough for us to ride the shuttle to the ancient monument, take a nice walk around it and snap some photos, and return to check out the visitor center containing many ancient artifacts found in the area. Still, it was freezing cold and extremely windy, probably because we were now away from the city and in the more hilly countryside, and also because, well, it was a rainy day.

After we got back on the bus and proceeded with our journey, the scenery only became more beautiful. Our next destination was the historic city of Bath. Funny name, I know, until our tour guide explained that it was actually named for an ancient Roman bathhouse. The rain had returned, and this time a little harder. Sure, it wasn't exactly pouring. But with the heavy wind, umbrellas were pretty much useless. In the free time we had at Bath, Tiffany and I explored some nearby streets, crossed a bridge over a small but lovely river, and approached what we were told was the former home of Jane Austen, though we weren't exactly sure which house it was. At some points we tried waiting out the rain, but it didn't look like it would give in anytime soon. and it really never gave in, all the way through the next morning. At least we definitely got our share of nature's "bath"!

Then it finally came time for supper - which was slightly delayed due to traffic. As part of our tour, we went to the Medieval town of Lacock, where we enjoyed our meal at a The Red Lion, a traditional pub. Apparently this town was used to film many movies and TV shows, the most popular being Harry Potter. Not surprising, given its unique historic architecture. I couldn't help but realize that this was the "last supper" of our trip. And what better way to mark the moment than with some good ol' fish and chips? Yes, it's the single most stereotypical food in England. But at least it was authentic, and we had waited this long to finally try some. Needless to say, we were definitely not disappointed.

Then came the return trip - the bus ride, the walk back to the Tube station, and the return to our hotel room for one last night. It wasn't all that late yet, but even if it were, I think Tiffany and I would both have chosen to stay up a little just to relax and enjoy being in our room. We had been so busy that Tiffany didn't even know our room had a TV until I pointed it out. (To be fair, the TV was mounted into the wall in a way that could be missed rather easily by those who weren't looking for it.) We turned it on for the first time, watched some random British broadcasting, and enjoyed the last of our snacks and drinks from Tesco. Then the night - our last night in London - came to an end.

Day Nine (Tuesday 6/6): Our flight wasn't scheduled to depart until around 3PM, and with most of our belongings already packed up, we actually had plenty of time to spare. About halfway through our trip, I decided to add something special to our last morning to help end our trip with a bang - breakfast on top of a glass skyscraper with a panoramic view of London.

Up to now, we had always opted out of the typical continental breakfast that many hotel guests enjoy in favor of either eating at a cafe or in our room. It was partly to save time, and also partly because continental breakfast is absurdly expensive and probably not all that different from what we can get at home for much cheaper. But thanks to saving lots of money from the many simple (but no less delightful) meals we enjoyed, adding one more fancier meal really wasn't a problem. So we took advantage of our hotel wi-fi and made our reservation at Darwin Brasserie, located in the "Sky Garden" towering over the city.

We'd noticed the building, often known as the "Walkie-Talkie" due to its unique shape, ever since the day we first arrived, given that it was just a couple blocks away from our hotel. Of course, those couple blocks seemed extra long with the continuing rain, which turned our walk into a battle to keep ourselves as dry as possible without letting our poor umbrella get obliterated by the wind. But we had already walked down that street so many times that we could probably have found our way there blindfolded. And once we made our way into the building, it was time to forget about the storm and simply enjoy our breakfast - the final meal of our trip.

To help clear up a few things that are very confusing for Sky Garden visitors - There are two entrances into the building; the bigger one is for the offices, and the smaller one on the side is for the Garden, with a separate security checkpoint and an elevator that goes straight up to the 35th floor. The top three floors (35th, 36th, and 37th) are essentially different parts of one big chamber rather than three distinct floors. So whether you booked a meal at one of the restaurants or simply booked a time to visit the Garden, you have access to the same big open area with a 360-degree walkaround view of London. Sure, it's not half as high as The Shard (which is on the other side of the Thames). But once you're high enough to see for miles in every direction, does it really matter?

The food, which cost only a little more than the average hotel breakfast, was actually very good - unlimited self-serve tea, coffee, bread, and more. The yogurt, served in glass bottles, was amazing. We also each got to order one hot dish - eggs benedict and smoked salmon, and both were wonderful. We were given a table right by the window, with a beautiful view of the river. Afterwards, we took a walk around the Garden and enjoyed the view from every direction. We saw St. Paul's Cathedral, The Monument, and many more now-familiar landmarks. Of course, the weather meant that visibility was rather limited; if the sky were clear, I'm pretty sure we could see all the way to Westminster. But already it was a great experience, and a perfect way to enjoy the sights of London one last time.

Then we returned to our room, finished the last of our packing, and left the hotel. The rain slowly came to a stop, saving us the hassle of holding an umbrella while carrying our luggages down the street to Tower Hill Station. Then came our last Tube rides, the last taps of our Oyster cards, and the no-longer-foreign process of checking into the airport. With a little time to spare, we wandered around a few shops and bought a couple gifts. Then we boarded the plane, and before we knew it, we were in the sky headed back home.

Upon realizing that we should be returning home just in time to hop in bed for a good night's sleep, we decided to stay up for pretty much the entire flight, entertaining ourselves with several movies and the snacks and drinks that were served to everyone. Special thanks to Brandon who came to pick us up from LAX, the journey home was stress-free, though I will admit that being in a car on the right side of the road again definitely took some getting used to.

Back at home, everything seemed so familiar, yet so different. Washing up in our own shower and plopping into our own bed was both comforting and disappointing. We were finally home, and we were so glad to be home. But at the same time, we also knew that our great adventure had come to an end and was now in the past.

I remember back in high school when the administration banned classroom parties, but students and teachers alike bypassed the rule by having "cultural experiences", which were essentially parties with a more educational-sounding name. (Of course, we all cared more about the food and games than about whatever "culture" it was supposed to represent.) Fast foward some fifteen years or so (wow, has it really been... nevermind, let's stick to more uplifting topics here), and I now finally understand what a real "cultural experience" is like. I've witnessed thousands of years of history and experienced glimpses of cultures across the world both old and new. Most importantly, I did it all in the air of romance with my wife, with nobody else to tell us what to do or where to go.

Sure, my original picture of an ideal honeymoon didn't exactly involve big cities, busy schedules, and terrorist attacks. But for both Tiffany and me, our picture of a perfect marriage probably didn't involve living in a small apartment, stressing to save money, and waiting almost two years to go on our honeymoon either. And yet here we are, living each day by the grace of God, thankful for His constant love and provision. Our trip to London served as not only our honeymoon, but also a retreat from daily life to refocus on spending quality time together and celebrating our relationship, treating each day as a fresh new opportunity to cherish and love each other.

I've heard many people say that everyone needs a vacation once in a while. I've also heard many say that vacations, especially those you're in charge of organizing, just end up leaving you even more exhausted. Now that our trip is over, I can confidently testify that both are true. But the important question to ask is, was it worth it? And my answer is "absolutely". Whether we see it as a honeymoon, a retreat, or simply a chance to see the world from new perspectives, we're certainly glad we did it. And as we return to our daily lives and shift our focus now to other priorities that will affect our future, we thank God for always providing for us and pray that we will continue to trust Him as He directs our lives and our marriage according to His will.

06/08: I've heard many people say that everyone needs a vacation once in a while. Having just returned home after over a week in London with Tiffany, I can't agree more, especially given that this is my first real extended getaway in many years. Yes, this was also our long-awaited honeymoon vacation, which we couldn't enjoy until now because of our job situations. And it couldn't have come at a better time; the weeks leading up to our departure had consisted of a series of unexpected problems, some of which will have major effects on our future. I really didn't want to - and didn't know how to - face the road ahead, and it was great to step away from it all for long enough that I can now come back with a fresh dose of enthusiasm. I'll write more about life at home, as well as about our vacation, as soon as time permits and as soon as I get over my jetlag (which, surprisingly, hasn't quite affected me yet). But for now, I'm thankful for both the chance to be away and the chance to return to my normal life. I'm thankful for both what has passed and what is to come. And I'm once again reminded that everything I am and everything I have is a gift from God, and that I must continue trusting Him faithfully to guide us and provide for us in His perfect timing.

05/23: There are two words that people too often use interchangably - "knowledge" and "wisdom". While these words share many similarities, they are fundamentally different. Knowledge is simply the possession of information. Wisdom is the discernment of when and how to use (or not use) each piece of that information. I'm sure we can all think of someone, whether in history, in the world today, or in our own lives, who has great knowledge yet lacks even an ounce of wisdom.

Just about all of us living in the modern world have access to a nearly endless amount of knowledge. Even though I have never been a fan of "smart" personal technology (and still hold the belief that I was born under a technological curse), I always weigh the various pros and cons of each piece of technology before making any sort of decision regarding whether or not to make it a part of my life. I can name many ways in which improved personal technology has benefited me, those closest to me, as well as people and societies across the globe. However, I have also seen how it has driven the world into an increasingly deep state of confusion. People have become more self-centered, communities have been greatly hindered by those people, and companies continue exploiting a world that has become too weak and dumb to tell right from wrong in order to gain control and profit. It's not because the technology is bad, but because people wrongly assume that what gives them easy access to knowledge will also give them easy access to wisdom.

Machines may be far more knowledgable than humans, but they don't contain even a fraction of the wisdom a human is capable of possessing. And when people become too dependent on technology without considering what it is and isn't capable of, in the end they only find themselves becoming increasingly distant from the wisdom that they dangerously assume would come as easily as knowledge. In the end, whether "smart" technology proves to be beneficial or detrimental is essentially up to its user. And sadly, it is far too easy for users to fall into the temptation of shutting off their own minds and becoming slaves to their gadgets.

To be fair, I admit I've always been somewhat of a Neanderthal compared to my peers. While many have respected my commitment to my core values over the years, others - even, sadly, those closest to me, have been committed to forcing their beliefs regarding personal technology upon me. I really don't understand why; given that these issues neither deserve life-or-death importance nor give those naggers any sort of personal gain, there's really no reason for their stubborn persistence other than a severe lack of wisdom. I'm not saying that their personal choices are wrong, but rather that they have no good basis of preaching those choices to me and expecting me to blindly follow them. All I can do is accept the tragic fact that they, like so many others who fail to recognize the importance of wisdom, have been brainwashed like so much of the world today and no longer speak and think for themselves.

Years have passed since the Stone Age that I once felt perfectly comfortable in. The road of life has taken me on many new adventures. I've tried new things and allowed different ideas to influence me. I've tasted the bliss of conformity and I've been tempted and tried by it. Sometimes I stood strong, and other times I fell (often dangerously close to death). But by seeking wisdom in building the foundations of my beliefs, each fall only makes me stronger. I've gone for a dive and now at last returned to the surface. I've come full circle, and now, being more confident than ever before in the foundations I stand on, I'm here to prove to those who once opposed me that they are wrong in how they viewed me, and that as long as they continue in their hardheadedness, they will always be wrong.

Sometimes we don't learn unless we experience pain. Thanks to all of you who worked so hard to drag me down the deep end, I now have to face the challenge of learning to breathe fresh air again, and in doing so come to terms with my own foolishness in ever listening to you. With the little I now have, I must wisely pick and choose in order to protect myself and keep marching forward. And with what I now lack, I hope that those with clean hands will never need to partake with me. Sometimes, the greatest display of wisdom is simply admitting that I lack it; my judgment and decisions are far from perfect, and as long as I live in this world, they will always be far from perfect. But there's a huge difference between those who are imperfect and those who simply refuse to grow up. I don't doubt that when the time is right, I will continue treading these waters that will probably always seem relatively foreign to me. But as I do, I recommit myself, and must always remain committed, to seeking more wisdom.

In the mean time, I hope that those who have continuously refused to understand will taste the fruits of their labor. And for those who have even gone to the point of talking and plotting behind my back (as if I were too stupid to know) in attempt to change me, a part of me wishes that one day, you will find yourself in need, and at that time when you wonder why I'm so inconveniently far away, I will tell you that if only you had not been so foolish toward me, I would still be exactly where I had always been - just a simple call away.