This past week I was fortunate enough to have my dad come all the way to London to visit for a week! I felt excitement building up as the time got closer. It brought me back to the time my dad and I visited Paris a few years ago. To have this opportunity again seemed surreal. It was a week I was very excited for and had been anticipating for a while! My family and I discussed the possibility of them visiting but we weren’t sure if twas something that can be done financially. While my whole family couldn’t visit, I was happy to see my dad was able to. As I waited at the airport for him to walk out, I had so many emotions running through me. I haven’t see my family in over a month. To say I miss them would be an understatement. Feelings of happiness and relief consumed me as soon as I saw him; I couldn’t stop smiling!
As soon as he arrive that day, we went to go see a football (soccer) match! This was something both my dad and I were looking forward to. We wondered what the difference in atmosphere and game play there would be between American soccer and soccer overseas. On this day in particular, it had been raining more than usual and it was quite cold but that did not take away from the energy of the fans in the stadium. We were seated on the home side watching Fulham versus Barnsley. The energy of the fans was something I have never experienced before at a sports event. With these teams not even being the major teams in England, I assumed we would just get a good game to watch but it was amazing to see how passionate the fans were and how they would react to different situations. There were even times where my dad and I, who understand soccer, had no idea why the fans were cheering or booing! The pride of the stadium was amazing to see and it was an energetic experience I will never forget!
The next thing we did was visit the Museum of London. I have been to this museum before but with a limited amount of time. Going this time around I was able to soak in more and get a better appreciation for all it had to offer. With my dad being a history teacher it was great to see how in awe of the museum he was and how happy he seemed discovering new things. London, overall, has a lot of great and rich history and it is fascinating to compare the differences and similarities between their history and American history. When looking at it, London and the United States have a lot of similar history, such as war, racial disparities, or small communities rich in culture/history. It is interesting to see how the two regions, worlds apart from each other, can share history that is similar in many ways.
Overall I have loved my dad’s time here. Being able to see him again, explore more of London, and open my eyes to different things has made this week one I will never forget. Since we both love traveling, we have already started to plan the next trip and although I don’t know our destination, I can’t wait to continue our travels!
Isaiah's Travels 