We set off early, the sun had just started to rise when we took off for Wales. The drive from the south coast of England to the west coast of Wales would take an entire day because of the planned stops: a few hours in Windsor for lunch, and a couple of hours in Stratford-upon-Avon for a mid-afternoon break.

Going from coast to coast like this meant spending hours in the countryside without signs of other people, enduring narrow and windy dirt roads that often made me feel nauseous, and driving through towns so small that if you blink, you might miss it.

But I loved all of it.

I drifted in and out of sleep for most of the morning drive before waking up in Windsor - a city of contemporary lifestyle and historical attractions. The Windsor Castle was a key attraction for many people, but I was more excited about visiting Eton College - one of England's top "private" schools. I couldn't help gawking at the boys' uniforms, which consisted of tuxedo jackets and pin-stripped pants. But I was with a group of girls wandering through an all boy high school - they stared at us as much as we stared at them.

After a giggle-fest at Eton, we headed for Stratford, Shakespeare's hometown. An old small town, Stratford had cute pedestrian shopping streets with historical sites like Shakespeare's home and birthplace sprinkled throughout. I consumed my time in Stratford-upon-Avon by walking around the outskirts of town and sampling fudge from the local sweet shops.

When we resumed driving, I fell back asleep. When I woke up again, we were no longer in England but driving through the beautiful countryside in Wales...I'll save that for part 2 of the coast to coast road trip.=)