London: my second home forever

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson.

     After travelling to more than 20 countries, I looked back to the past, searching for the beginning of my backpacking adventures and wondering how I came to see backpacking as my lifetime pursuit. Memories slowly emerged, pulling me back to the summer of 2009.

     That was the first time I went abroad by myself. During my 2 months’ stay in London, I was taking courses at a language school most of the time. But I spent my weekends exploring this unfamiliar city in my own way. With a small backpack on my shoulders, I regarded myself as an outsider trying to get to know everything about London, to fit in with the British way of life, and, most important of all, to find a sense of belonging.

     For me, London is definitely a charming city. This isn’t just because of its historic spots, classic architecture or museums with lots of precious collections but because of its profound culture and atmosphere. I’ve been to world famous tourist attractions like the Buckingham Palace and the British museum, which were fantastic. However, what really impressed me were those day-to-day things that showed the so-called British style. For example, though people complained about the royal family every now and then, I still noticed that they were in fact proud of it. They used many symbols of the royalty in their daily lives, such as the red post boxes and red telephone booths. (Red is the color of royalty.)Some bars even included the word ‘red’ in their name, like ‘The Red Bull’.

     As time went by, I discovered more and more about London. I somehow started to feel it is where I belong. Even though I am now back in Taiwan, the thought of escaping to London and travelling all around Europe has never slipped my mind. As a proverb goes,“Travel is a way to find home.”I took a stroll along memory lane, only to realize that I had found my second home when I sat by the riverside across from the Big Ben, waving farewell to London on the very last day of my stay.