I recently celebrated my 50th Birthday in Europe. I specifically wanted to travel to London as it was my dream destination and has been on my vision board for years.

Of course travelling is expensive and choosing the most costly destinations to visit was not an easy choice. But we saved up for it and figured let’s do it while we still have time and are relatively fit.

Paris was the first destination that we travelled to. Seeing the Eiffel tower in all its splendor was such a treat. We couldn’t get enough of it as it loomed everywhere we went. We couldn’t miss visiting the Louvre and walking along the Champs-Élysées to take endless pics of the Arc de Triomphe. Paris is steeped in history and art taking me back to my history classes when I learned about Napoleon Bonaparte and the French Revolution. Montmartre showcased art and told stories of where famous artists lived and created their masterpieces. The food was a heavenly as we indulged in croissants and hot chocolate, but it didn’t matter because we walked so much, torching those calories.

We took a short flight to London to spend the last leg of our holiday. I was so excited to finally arrive, to see this vibrant City and visit the places I dreamed of. We went to Buckingham and Kensington Palace, strolling through the gardens like the rest of the tourists who had the same idea. We toured the King’s Gallery and swooned over tiaras, exquisite paintings of royals and treasured pieces. We celebrated my birthday on the London Eye catching spectacular views of the City and sat down to high-tea, scones and clotted cream at the The Ivy in Kensington.

The highlight of the trip was a stadium tour of Tottenham Hotspur and watching a live match. Seeing my husband light up when his team came onto the field made this trip so worth it. I’m not a soccer fan but even I was stoked to be there! Now every-time we see a match on TV we gush, “we were there!”.

We will always remember these beautiful memories because we travelled despite the doubts and the money it cost. These Cities are expensive but if it’s really where you want to go, do it. Our time here is not guaranteed and we should do things that spark joy or celebrate special occasions.