Last year, my sister and I took our first sister trip to California for Coachella. This year was another first, we did a mother/daughter trip with our mom to London then Paris. I'm one of the few people I know that takes relatively consistent family vacations even in adulthood. Somehow in all those years, my mother, sister, and I have never done anything just the three of us.
I love our family trips and would never give them up for anything, but I will say that this trip did show me the importance of mother/daughter travel. We talked more candidly than we ever have. We laughed at pretty much everything. We built on an already extremely strong bond.
My family is very much so in each other's business. I always know when someone says, "Lala is on the phone!" I am more than likely going to be put on speaker and what I thought was an one on one conversation is now a conference call. Sometimes it drives me batty, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Even with that closeness, I find that our real truths, fears, goals, come out in travel. We get so much uninterrupted time together that real talk is bound to happen. I also know that there's some things that only a mother can tell you or that you want to tell her.
Don't get me wrong, this was by no means a heavy trip made solely up of deep conversations. It was the most hilarious and fun trip I've ever been on. From my sister doing a dance in the Louvre to imitate a painting to an ongoing joke about sending a telegram to my father and boyfriend about not coming back. We had perpetual giggles.
London
We stayed in Notting Hill which is just charming as it's described. Our hotel was an apartment style property that felt more like a large studio than a hotel room. We were right near restaurants, cafes, and vintage shops. The tube was a short walk away which made it easy to explore. There is plenty more I would have liked to have seen if I had a few more days, but I do feel like our time was well spent. I loved it there!
Paris
After three days in London, we took a two hour train ride to Paris. Luckily, even though rain was in the forecast for the entire time we were in Paris, we had pleasant weather most of the time. The only day that it really rained was our last and by that point we had already gotten our sightseeing out of the way.
Our hotel was a 12 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower which was so amazing to see in person. There were a ton of cute little restaurants nearby. We loved sitting for glass of wine and just people watching. London had the similar feeling of the hustle and bustle of New York, while Paris was much more chill. I was happy to have ended there because I came back from the trip feeling relaxed.
Takeaways
- If the 2020 election doesn't go the right way, London feels like an excellent option for relocation. I knew I'd love it, but it exceeded my high expectations.
- Americans are the only people in a rush. I feel like this any time I leave the states. Every restaurant we went to we had to flag down the waiter/waitress to get our bill. This was usually after an amount time that we would have already gotten the polite slip of the bill on the table along with, "Whenever you're ready" in the states.
- Wine is cheaper than soft drinks in Europe, so always go for the wine.
- Sightseeing in the fall is so much better than the summer.
- Every mother/daughter duo or trio should take a girls trip together. Even for just a driving weekend trip. It's good for your health. My tank was so full upon my return.
