Six lessons learned whilst daytripping to Canterbury and Whitstable

1. Don't be (too) lazy. Yes, putting off sending in your railcard application meant that you paid more than you needed to. But at least you managed to drag yourself out of bed in time to catch the tranquil, uncrowded 8 a.m. train. The Kentish countryside's scenery in the early morning is hard to beat.

2. Communication is key. If someone is being a pain in your backside, take a little advice from King Henry II: Don't make an off-hand remark over the water cooler that you wish someone would "rid you" of the person. Next thing you know, they'll hack him apart and thousands of pilgrims will pay him tribute. Talk about annoying.

3. Embrace what you love. Yes, the guidebook says to hit all the museums and to take a bus to Whitstable. But if all you really want to do is write postcards while sipping espresso in a dive cafe, and hike the hilariously named Crab & Winkle Way, and people watch, then DO IT. When traveling alone, you've got to do it for yourself. And after you pet some horses, eat a sandwich from the top of the hill overlooking Canterbury and the surrounding valley, stumble upon a wild blackberry patch, and spend a good twenty minutes whistling your high school's alma mater deep in the woods of Kent, you'll be glad you listened to yourself.

4. Take proper precautions. When urinating in the out of doors, make sure to find a discreet, out-of-the way location. Off the path in the Blean Woods is a good choice. Between a boarding school and a rugby pitch is not.

5. Do your homework. If the whole point of going to Whitstable is to eat some fresh oysters, you should make sure you know what to do with them when you get them. Otherwise, you'll be handed a bewildering array of oysters, utensils, and sauces, with nary an idea of what you're supposed to do with them:
6. Appreciate home. After a hectic day in the hustle and bustle of the country, it sure feels nice to return home to humdrum London. And what a great feeling to have yet another place that feels like "home."