It’s amazing what a solid 8 hours of sleep can do. I wake up bright-eyed and cheery. I greet the hostel staff with an energetic smile and they can’t help but smile back. I strike up a conversation with the barista and after a latte I’m ready to start today’s adventure.

Before my adventure I combed travel blogs looking for useful information. Over and over again people talked about doing free walking tours. Since my hostel offered one I decided this was the best way to get acquainted with the area. After a quick trip on the tube we begin our tour by walking to Buckingham Palace. The tour guide is extremely friendly, knowledgable, and energetic. My walking tour includes tourists from Germany, Argentina, the US, Brazil, and Canada.

Even small, genuine interactions with strangers revive and recharge me. There’s Emily, a brown-haired Canadian who is quick to smile. She’s at the end of her backpacking journey after traveling through Scotland, Germany, and Spain. There’s Mitis, a tall and lanky Brazilian only in town for the day. As the tour guide takes us through the city I chat with Emily about her travels. The tour guide gives us great information about London as Emily gives me great advice about traveling solo. We end the tour at Big Ben, where Emily and I part ways with a smile and a hug.

My first day in London was a stark contrast to my second day. While day one was exhausting and lonely, day two was full of excitement and positive exchanges. This is a great reminder that feelings, both positive and negative, effect our current perspective of reality. The next time I find myself fatigued and disheartened I hope I can remind myself that just as feelings come and go, this too shall pass.

The world really is a beautiful place, regardless of our mental state.