At the Zoo

Earlier this week, we took Sophia to the zoo. I’ve been going to London Zoo since I was a child, and a lot has changed in that time. The kinds of animals now reflect more humane conditions, and the environments have evolved for the same reason.

I was struck on this visit — having not been for many years — by how modern and “themed” everything felt. There’s much more emphasis on creating environments that resemble the countries the animals are native to, which felt like a really nice touch.

Sophia has been especially interested in animals recently, so we were excited to take her. We were a little surprised, though, that the animals she reacted to most were the ones she already knew — like goats and pigeons. I realised later that she probably couldn’t quite grasp what a lion or a zebra was, so was a little taken aback by them.

Nevertheless, we had a wonderful day. When Sophia is interested in something, she points at it — and I now have many, many photos of her pointing at animals.

On the way to the zoo, which is located in Regent’s Park, I was struck by how many things we’ll be able to do together in London. There are so many of our main tourist attractions that I’ve never properly visited — like the Tower of London. It’ll be nice to experience those things as a family.

Being able to do something like this in the middle of a work week isn’t lost on me. I feel very lucky to have the flexibility in my life that allows it, and I’m grateful to everyone who makes that possible.