Craig's First Day in London (Part 2)

Like most days in England, Craig’s first view of London was the epitome of British weather – cloudy. This didn’t bother us much since we were still able to see Big Ben and the Parliament buildings from the Thames. Timing our arrival perfectly, Big Ben was just beginning to chime at noon while I snapped Craig’s first official "London photo”.

Strolling across Westminster Bridge, we both felt our stomachs rumbling for a quick lunch. “Ready for some authentic British pub grub?” I asked Craig.

“Sure,” he replied, “but I’ve heard that British food isn’t much to brag about.”

“I’ve actually grown quite fond of it.”

Glancing across various restaurant signs and window menus, I eventually pulled Craig into a crowded pub that was incredibly busy for a Saturday afternoon. “Wait here,” I yelled over the noise, “and I’ll grab a few menus from the bar.”

After asking the barmaid for two menus, Craig and I claimed a tiny table near the front before ordering our food. “So what would you suggest?” Craig asked as he flipped through the menu.

“I’m a big fan of bangers and mash. Sausages, mashed potatoes, and gravy – nothing too adventurous.”

“Sounds great to me,” he said as closing his menu. “Do you want me to put in for two orders at the bar?”

Nodding, I handed over my menu and shifted my long legs around the extremely short bar stool. Walking back with two waters in hand, Craig handed me a glass before crouching down on his own bar stool. “This is great!” he smiled. “Cozy, comfortable, and a selection of beers that I’ve never seen before.”

“Do you want to try one?”

“I was tempted,” he answered, “but I would surely be drunk with only three hours of sleep last night.”

Understanding, I looked up to see the bartender carrying two heaping plates of bangers and mash towards our table. “Hope you’re hungry!” I grinned.

After an early morning of lugging baggage around London, we were both ravished and quickly devoured generous piles of mashed potatoes. Since we had already paid our bill at the bar, we relaxed for a few extra minutes at our table before giving up our seats to other thirsty customers.

“Okay, where do we start?” Craig asked, refreshed from a hearty and comfortable mid-day meal.

“I think we should start with the Tower of London.”

Somewhat of a history buff, the Tower of London was high on Craig’s “priority list” of things he wanted to see while in England. (A professional British soccer game was also at the top of the list, but who can get tickets nowadays??) Heading back to the nearest subway station, Craig groaned as we waited for the next Tube train to arrive.

Having grown accustomed to the fanatic push to get on the subway car before the doors slam shut, I had forgotten to tell Craig that the occasional elbow or slight shove might be necessary to squeeze yourself onto the train. As we moved to press ourselves into the crowded subway car, I slid in against the car wall and glanced back to see Craig standing in the doorway just as the automatic doors were quickly closing in on him.

“Julia!” he exclaimed while reaching for my arm. Grabbing his hand and pulling him in against the crowd, a frantic look passed across his face as the doors snapped shut behind him.

“I could have lost you!” Craig scolded as the shock of being separated quickly dampened our moods. “And then what would we have done?! I would have no way of finding you, calling you, contacting –”

“Craig,” I interrupted, “if we get separated on the subway, just stay where you are, and I will ride the subway back to get you. And if we lose each other, you can always call my cell from a pay phone, and we’ll find each other. Just relax – I won’t lose you.”

For the first time, the roles in our relationship had suddenly flipped, and the realization was a little bit shocking for both of us. During our first year of dating, I had come to rely on Craig not only for his solid advice and calm demeanor, but I also depended on the sense of safety and protection that I always felt when around him. While touring Europe, however, I was forced to learn how to fend for myself and think quickly when travel plans went awry. In a sense, I had become very comfortable with unfamiliar places and had forgotten what it felt like to be in a foreign city for the first time.

Craig, on the other hand, was just beginning to deal with his first case of “traveler’s stress”. Characterized by an intense fear of becoming lost or screwing up travel plans, traveler’s stress hits almost every international visitor at some point. For Craig, the fear of losing me and not knowing where to go or what to do in a strange foreign city was enough to put him in a state of momentary panic. After realizing his fears, I suddenly realized that Craig completely and solely depended on me to keep him safe – a level of responsibility that I had never experienced before.

Taking his hand as we arrived at Tower Hill station, Craig and I were happy to leave the subway and finally see a few famous London sights.