It's a good job I'm not afraid of heights, otherwise this story could have had a very different ending!
Just to put it out there - I am not a good traveller. I'm a lot better than I used to be, but still, the thought of driving 5-6 hours in order to wander the busy streets of the UK's capital city is not top of my list of things to do.
But hey, it was for a special cause and I certainly made the most of it!
On Wednesday the 28th June, we jumped in the car and headed off to Wembley Stadium for one the best nights everrrrr - watching Adele perform live.
We then woke up early on Thursday morning and prepared ourselves for a busy day of navigating.
I've been to London several times in the past, so trust me when I say it never gets easier.
Being a wheelchair user in London is the equivalent of being a fish out of water - IT JUST DOESN'T WORK... and you will probably die.
Ok...maybe that's me being a little bit dramatic, but it's still bloody hard!
Let's start with public transport. This in itself is a hard pill for me to swallow as I am the world's biggest snob!
Our hotel was only a few minutes walk from a tube station, but of course this wasn't wheelchair accessible. I mean, come on guys, its only the 21st century!
We therefore wasted a lot of time trying to sort bus routes etc - but in fairness the staff were extremely helpful.
The first bus turned up and surprise surprise, the one wheelchair space was already taken (by prams and buggies!) - don't even get me started... READ THE SIGN PEOPLE:
Anyway, I built a bridge in my head and got over it. We eventually waited for the next bus and were on the road, heading towards The London Dungeons.
Afterwards, we then navigated our way to The Shard. This is London's highest viewing platform, where you can travel up to 72 floors high - giving out views over London for 40 miles.
It's something we've talked about doing for a long time and even though it's expensive - it's definitely worth it! They even had a loo with a view!! What more could you want?!
Trying to get home was equally as HELLISH. I'm partially blaming my sister for this as she was the one "taking charge" LOL - and her map-reading skills are SHOCKING.
Every time she rotated her phone it was like: "oh, we're on the wrong street!".
Wondering around London at night didn't bother me at all - it was the fact I had low battery on my wheelchair that was stressing me out!
Anyway, I can laugh about it now that I'm home in the comfort of little ol' Cornwall. I love living in the Southwest, but I do wish we weren't so shut off from the rest of the world sometimes.
I had such a fun-packed weekend with my family, making memories that will last a lifetime. The Shard was incredible and despite the public transport nightmares, London, you did us proud.