Holy crap you guys, I’m in LONDON.
The second I got on the plane in Philadelphia, a sense of calm and ease took over me. Something about getting actually getting on the plane helped ease my anxieties and chill me the hell out.
I would like to recommend Air Canada to anyone and everyone. My flight to Toronto was fairly light, passenger-wise and as such I had an entire row to myself. Lots of leg room, nifty television screens in the backs of the seats, and very prompt and attentive flight crew.
I had a quick stop over in Toronto – whose airport is ginormous and kind of insane, but they had free wireless access so I love them – and then my flight to London. The London flight was not quite as spacious, but uneventful and fairly comfortable.
So now I’m in London, staying at my friends’ Jess and Mya’s flat. Jess is actually in the States right now (or rather, on a plane to come home as I type this) so Mya has been looking after me. She wrote out excellent directions for me to get from Heathrow to New Cross Gate, and I only got slightly confused once, but was able to ask for directions and figure everything out. Mya and I, by the way, had never met prior to this trip, and she has been the sweetest, most awesome hostess ever. She met me out on the road and quickly helped me into the flat and then insisted on making me a cuppa and fixing me lunch. We spent the afternoon chatting and getting acquainted. I took a nap later in the afternoon and when I awoke, Mya had gone out and gotten us fish and chips from the local takeaway for dinner. And then she and her flatmates took me around the touristy bits of London for a long evening walk. Mya has been so helpful in assisting me with the transportation system in London (which is so efficient and wonderful), and she played tour guide for me tonight! I cannot sing Mya’s praises enough. We took a (red double-decker!) bus to the Winchester. We saw everything tonight: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, London Eye. Then we strolled along the South Bank all the way down to London Tower, crossing the Millennium Bridge briefly to check out St. Paul’s, which is having some sort of artist installation where random words are being projected atop the dome.
I can’t tell you how comfortable I feel here. Any anxiety and stress I was feeling yesterday or in the past week, have gone. Even my worries about my paper have temporarily vanished. London feels both foreign and familiar, and I can’t help smiling every time I see a phone box or mail pillar. I love it here already.
Tomorrow I am retracing the route we took tonight, but will be doing it more at my own pace, photographing, popping into the Tate Modern, etc.
London is lovely, you guys, and I sincerely wish you were here.
The second I got on the plane in Philadelphia, a sense of calm and ease took over me. Something about getting actually getting on the plane helped ease my anxieties and chill me the hell out.
I would like to recommend Air Canada to anyone and everyone. My flight to Toronto was fairly light, passenger-wise and as such I had an entire row to myself. Lots of leg room, nifty television screens in the backs of the seats, and very prompt and attentive flight crew.
I had a quick stop over in Toronto – whose airport is ginormous and kind of insane, but they had free wireless access so I love them – and then my flight to London. The London flight was not quite as spacious, but uneventful and fairly comfortable.
So now I’m in London, staying at my friends’ Jess and Mya’s flat. Jess is actually in the States right now (or rather, on a plane to come home as I type this) so Mya has been looking after me. She wrote out excellent directions for me to get from Heathrow to New Cross Gate, and I only got slightly confused once, but was able to ask for directions and figure everything out. Mya and I, by the way, had never met prior to this trip, and she has been the sweetest, most awesome hostess ever. She met me out on the road and quickly helped me into the flat and then insisted on making me a cuppa and fixing me lunch. We spent the afternoon chatting and getting acquainted. I took a nap later in the afternoon and when I awoke, Mya had gone out and gotten us fish and chips from the local takeaway for dinner. And then she and her flatmates took me around the touristy bits of London for a long evening walk. Mya has been so helpful in assisting me with the transportation system in London (which is so efficient and wonderful), and she played tour guide for me tonight! I cannot sing Mya’s praises enough. We took a (red double-decker!) bus to the Winchester. We saw everything tonight: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abby, London Eye. Then we strolled along the South Bank all the way down to London Tower, crossing the Millennium Bridge briefly to check out St. Paul’s, which is having some sort of artist installation where random words are being projected atop the dome.
I can’t tell you how comfortable I feel here. Any anxiety and stress I was feeling yesterday or in the past week, have gone. Even my worries about my paper have temporarily vanished. London feels both foreign and familiar, and I can’t help smiling every time I see a phone box or mail pillar. I love it here already.
Tomorrow I am retracing the route we took tonight, but will be doing it more at my own pace, photographing, popping into the Tate Modern, etc.
London is lovely, you guys, and I sincerely wish you were here.
Labels: 8K in the UK
1 Comments:
don't forget, when an englishman says 'lift' he's talking about an elevator, and when an irishman says 'i'd hit that' he's actually talking about hitting you.
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