Today was the best day ever and here’s why:

I woke up in London, England on July 1st, Canada Day (the day upon which multiple British colonies united and became Canada). I bounded out of bed, made myself ready for the day, and hit the road. We hopped on a double decker bus, sat at the front on the second floor, and flew downtown. Soon we were off the bus and on the hunt for breakfast! We sat down on the patio of a restaurant and ordered full English breakfasts: beans, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, and hash browns. Boy, oh boy! I do love a breakfast like this.

We walked to the Prince of Wales Theatre where the ticket lottery for Book of Mormon would happen at 12:30pm. Every day, two hours before the show, a lottery is held for tickets to the Book of Mormon. You basically put your name in a pot and if you are the lucky name called, you can win one or two tickets for £20 each (way cheaper than the regular £90). They began the lottery and everyone was so excited. As each name was called, the crowd clapped and cheered, but we all wished it was us. Then my name was called! What?! I won!

We had some time to kill before the show, so we decided to walk to Trafalgar Square where a huge Canada Day celebration was taking place. This isn’t just any Canada Day. Today, Canada turned 150 years old! Or should I say, 150 years young. We were greeted with Canada flags and temporary tattoos. We lined up to buy a Sleeman’s Honey Brown and laughed at the HUGE line up for Tim Horton’s — just like home. There was live music, street hockey, and a photo booth. It was such a fun celebration. The sun came out and we enjoyed our beers in the warmth. Then the MC on stage invited us to sing O Canada. We did, and of course, there were tears. I just can’t help it! Happy birthday, Canada.

We walked back to the theatre and took our seats. We sat in the front row. It was a bit close, but a totally unobstructed view. Oh man, Book of Mormon is damn funny. The perfect blend of West End musical positivity, and super offensive jokes. Oh, what a perfect London afternoon!

After the show, we were peckish. We decided to head to the Tesco’s for their £3 meal deal, and take our food to a park to have a picnic. We walked in and were greeted by two men standing in front of a table offering free samples of vodka lemonade to promote Smirnoff’s limited edition Pride bottle. It tastes the same as regular vodka, but it’s more accepting. We thanked them for the drinks and went on shopping. We bought a salad, a sandwich, two drinks, a bag of chips, and a bag of Malteser’s for £6! We also bought some pre-mixed Gin and Tonics to complement our picnic. We were at the check out, and at the front of the store, the London Gay Men’s Chorus broke out into song! We got two more vodka lemonades from the Smirnoff guys and enjoyed a few songs. There we were, in a Tesco’s, being serenaded by a lovely group of men, drinking free booze. What a day!

We wandered to St James’s Park and ate our picnic. I was so cozy, laying in the sun, full of £3 meal deal and gin. How could I possibly be happier? After a cheeky nap, we walked to Buckingham Palace, then around to Big Ben, across Westminster Bridge, and past the London Eye. It’s all so beautiful. We made our way along the Thames. The sun slowly went down and the fairy lights in the trees lit our path.

Best. Day. Ever.