What do you think of when you think of living in London? Drinking tea and eating crumpets? Maybe running into members of the royal family on the tube? I hate to break it to you but those are just stereotypes. But this is the story of the time I visited Buckingham Palace in London, my own royal experience. In England when the Queen is away on business for the summer months (June- September), the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace are open for visitors to come inside. My friends and I had bought our tickets in advance so we would not have to wait in the long lines.

Going into the Palace is not like any other tourist attraction. I had to go through high security similar to that of an airport; taking off my jacket, my purse and having them go through a metal detector. One of my friends even had to get padded down as part of a random search. Security was no joke there. Once inside, the part of the palace that visitors can see is not really the part of the palace that the Queen resides in. However, everything was still so gorgeous. The rooms were adorned floor to ceiling with immaculate decorations and lots of gold. The State rooms were essentially the Queen's rooms to show off her famous art collections. I also got to see where Prince William and Kate Middleton got out of their carriage at the Palace to walk down the aisle of their wedding ceremony!

After seeing the State Rooms, my friends and I did what any tourist would do- we went to the gift shop. As the Queen loves her corgis it was only right for me to spend £20 on a stuffed corgi plush. Afterwards with all of our gifts in hand, my friends and I walked a few blocks away to a popular tea and cake shop called Peggy Porschen Cakes. This particular bakery had become Instagram famous for its beautiful outside decorations, known for changing them every season or holiday. Additionally, everything was pink, the building, the tea cups, and most of the food. My friend and I had shared a pot of the Orange Flower tea. I also ordered a piece of the Salted Caramel cake. The food and drinks were delicious! And the Instagram worthy- pictures never stopped. All in all, it was a very royal experience touring my future home and enjoying some warm tea on a chilly day.