Shelly Yang, a student at MIT, unexpectedly found herself touring London landmarks after a series of flight cancellations stranded her at Heathrow Airport in late January.
Yang had been in Kigali, Rwanda, for most of January and was scheduled to return to Boston. However, a significant snowstorm across the East Coast of the United States triggered widespread travel disruptions. After an initial cancellation, Yang anticipated spending a night at the airport. A second cancellation extended the potential wait to two nights, prompting the airline to provide her with a hotel room near Heathrow.
“I was thrust into London, knowing no one and having no plan,” Yang wrote in a personal account of her experience. Having never visited the United Kingdom, she decided to produce the most of the unexpected delay and explore the city.
Navigating London presented immediate challenges. Yang lacked local currency and was unsure if her credit cards would work internationally. She initially attempted to apply a bus, discovering her lack of pounds, but a kind driver allowed her to board. She then learned about a day pass for unlimited travel on London’s public transportation system, resolving the payment issue.
A chance encounter on the Metropolitan line proved helpful. A fellow passenger provided guidance, though the suggested route took longer than anticipated. “I still felt a lot of adrenaline and felt like I needed to tour as many places as possible with the limited amount of time I had; I forgot the point of travel was to actually enjoy myself while there, so the conversation was a good reminder,” Yang noted.
Her impromptu tour included Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey (which was closed on the Sunday she visited), and a ride on the London Eye. She took a river cruise along the Thames, passing under the Millennium Bridge, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge. The following day, she visited the Tower of London, Borough Market (closed on Mondays during her visit), and explored Chinatown, opting to dine at Molly Tea to avoid a long queue.
Yang too visited Piccadilly Circus, known for its illuminated advertising displays, before returning to her hotel. After two flight cancellations, two delays, one undelay, and a final delay, she eventually returned to campus.
Yang described the trip as “the craziest” she had ever been on, but also a valuable learning experience in dealing with travel disruptions. She noted the ease of navigating London thanks to its public transportation and the relative safety of the city. She expressed a desire to return to the UK for a less rushed visit, but for now, she awaits her next adventure. Shelly Yang is a Campus Life Editor for The Tech, the weekly student newspaper of MIT, according to the publication’s website.
