I am a huge believer in the idea that there are no coincidences in life and that things come to us when the time is right. How that magic happens, I cannot explain, but from the moment Nina told me I was selected for the British & Irish Isles expedition, I knew that this was meant for me and there was a reason I was being sent back to the UK.
England feels like home because it's one-half of who my sister and I are; our mom is from England and we spent school vacations there visiting our grandparents and cousins. We have so many lovely memories of our time spent there, but we haven't been back since saying goodbye in 2011. In the winter of 2010 our gran passed away, followed by our grandad just after Christmas of the same year, which meant two sad trips in less than year's time. I spent January of 2011 in England helping my mom pack up their house and getting it ready to put on the market. We returned to NY and about 7 weeks later our dad passed away. The next three years or so were pretty tough on all of us and we spent a lot of time and energy trying to distance ourselves from anything that reminded us of what we'd lost. So when I found out that I had been chosen for this expedition, I knew it was my time and my sign. I cried when we touched down at Heathrow this morning because I was both so happy and so grateful to be back. We were bused to the hotel where we joined other weary but excited guests for a 3-hour wait before the shuttle to the Explorer. Once we were finally on the shuttle, it took more than an hour to cross central London. Our apologetic tour director explained that the newly created bike lanes were to blame for the delay in this already congested city. This is a familiar lament that is not exclusive to London. How do we find the balance between greener transportation and sound infrastructure in cities where millions of people commute on a daily basis? The next wave of excitement hit once we saw the Explorer docked on the Thames. We were rushed aboard because the Tower Bridge was waiting to let us through, which meant creating an even bigger traffic jam than the one we just came through for those who needed to cross it. Once on the ship, our first order of business was to run all over it like kids to find the common areas, meet our expedition leaders, and to reunite with our mentor, Erin. Check out the video tour of cabin B211! Sailing down the Thames and under the raised Tower Bridge was the first spectacular moment of the expedition because of the river's history and because it's something few people get to experience. Despite the rain and wind, we stayed on deck as the ship passed the Greenwich observatory and crossed the prime meridian, only going back inside after we passed the Thames Barrier, which closes to protect the city from high tides and floods. I had not realized London was so vulnerable to the sea and without the barrier, the Houses of Parliament, the O2 arena, Tower Bridge and the surrounding neighborhoods would all be submerged in flood water. The Thames Barrier was created in 1982 and already needs to be modified to account for the anticipated changes in both sea and land levels. Seeing this barrier made me think about other coastal cities that may be at risk due to climate change and rising sea levels. What preparations are other cities around the world making to protect their infrastructures and citizens? How can the Thames Barrier serve as a model for other locations?
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