Day 2

So, unfortunately “Day 1” did not make it into the blog. Trust me, I was very upset it didn’t. Turns out I purchased the wrong type of adapter in the states to use here, so I wasn’t able to plug in my computer last night. (Note to anyone planning to visit Europe at some point: Buy the converter(s) once you arrive! The one I purchased today was not only less complicated, but about a fourth of the price I paid for the one that didn’t work. Also, for appliances, it’s a good idea to wait and buy them here. I’ve had several friends here tell me stories of their curling irons and hair dryers sparking and blowing fuses. For computers however, if you have PC, definitely buy a converter once you get to Europe. If you’re a MAC user, the plug on your computer charger can be changed out to match any country’s voltage.)
So, to summarize day 1: I left Houston Bush-Intercontinental Airport around 1:45 p.m. to Chicago O’Hare. The only moment I had a very clear thought of “WHAT AM I DOING!?” was right after I hugged my mom, and she burst into tears as I made my way to board the plane. It was the first time I really felt alone. I knew I would be, obviously, but that moment I realized the gravity of what was about to happen. I was about to travel to the other side of the world, alone, for 5 weeks. For a moment I thought I might literally be crazy. However, arriving in Chicago was surprisingly uplifting. There, I met up with Allie (who is a friend I met at Texas State before school let out and also happens to be my roommate here in London) and we flew out of Chicago at 6:15 p.m. headed for England. One movie, two meals and 6 time zones later, I arrived at Heathrow International Airport at 8:15 a.m. (2:15 a.m. back at home) – needless to say, I was a little tired. From there, Allie and I took a cab to our housing location, where we checked in and made our way to the room to start unpacking and getting settled. I have to say, being on the wrong side of the road with a cab driver sitting on the wrong side of the car was really hard for me to get used to. I still haven’t. (Side note: I will have a video of my room up at some point soon. I haven’t had enough time to take that yet.) Later that day, we went on a brief walking tour of my neighborhood, Camden Town. Londoners consider this one of the up-and-coming, younger parts of town. I really like it. There are a lot of college-age people around and we are about a 5-10 minute walk away from the Camden markets, which provide basically everything I could ever need. I also met my second roommate later that day. Her name is Lauren and she is from Michigan. You know you’re going to like someone when they refer to a coke as “pop” and talk about Texas as a possible state to attend grad school all in one day! :] After getting settled and meeting people, I went to bed around 8 p.m. and slept a well-needed 12 hours. :]

Today was, in short, AMAZING!! There is no way to describe all of the sites I witnessed on the London walking tour unless you see it for yourself - which is why I provided some videos from some high points of the tour for you to view below. We started out by taking the tube (subway) to an area called Green Park. Interesting story here. It’s called Green Park because one of the past 14th Century King’s of England would pick flowers from the park to give his 14 mistresses. Out of jealousy, his wife, the queen at the time, said there must never be any flowers grown in the park. Therefore, the name “Green Park” caught on because grass and bushes were all that grew there. (There are some flowers growing there today.) Along the tour we saw Buckingham Palace, changing of the guard, St. James’ Park, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. A lot of these sites are in the videos below so watch away. I will also be posting pictures on facebook if you want to see them there. Today was definitely the first day I felt like I was in London. Seeing all the famous spots that I had previously only heard about through pictures and TV my whole life was pretty awesome. Oh yes, and I have made a list below of recommended locations to purchase various essentials when living in London.

Groceries – Sainsbury's

Medicine, toiletries, ect. – Boots (sort of like Walgreens)

Electronics (or electronic help) – Curry’s (reminds me of a RadioShack. They helped me find the right converter.)

Miscellaneous items – Argos (VERY cool concept for a store. I bought a hairdryer and a small fan here. Both were under 10 pounds.)

Cell phone help – Vodaphone

Well, that’s about all for today’s entry. Most probably won’t be this long, but I had to catch up from yesterday. Enjoy the videos!