There is no feeling in the world that can compare to flying so high that you can see the clouds beneath you. Even more so, you adjust altitudes – up and down, up and down – and it’s almost like a Blind Neo & Trinity moment from the Matrix 3. The earth below is pitch dark but above the clouds, the sky is waking up with beautiful colors of blue and pink! It is simply breathtaking!
And so far, my trip has left me gasping for air.
Mommy, Daddy, and Mom-Mom dropped me off at the terminal. Hugs and kisses and I was officially on my own. The check in was smooth but at security I forgot to take off my belt – which had metal on it. I was made to walk through the metal detector 2 additional times, but I made it through no problem.
Shortly after I met up with Ally Levin, a Junior Business Communications major from my school, and we chatted it up. The next thing you know, we’ve got wonderful company. A Brit named Dane, who couldn’t help but to point out my security error to Ally, joined us. Dane was a good guy and we talked until we boarded the plane.
Ally, Dane, and Myself
By booking directly through British Airways I was able to choose my own seat. I successfully achieved the bulkhead seat 26A. We boarded the plane and at first I was ecstatic! I could stretch my legs out! Sadly, however, this seat of wonders was not accompanied by a window, so I glared back at the girl’s behind me
I soon met and was bombarded with 2 – 6 British men all around my seat, talking to eat other, talking to me. The one guy, James whom I had been talking to for hours, made sure that I felt included. “I was just telling Jess about … “ “Jess said….” The lack of window wasn’t looking so bad now. In fact, it didn’t even matter because it became dark outside and nothing could be distinguished in the black.
I managed to nod off every once and a while for about an hour. But at 4 am (London time) the lights came on and everyone was greeted with breakfast. (Dinner wasn’t terribly bad either.)
Before we all got off the flight, James gave me his business card (with cell phone number) to hit him up for a night out at the pub. Score 1 for Jessica!!!
We get off, and tada, customs! First passport stamp.
Dane was nice enough to wait for Ally and I to get through customs and get our bags. We then processed out of Heathrow very tired people.
BOOM! Taxi driver was right there! Dane gives us his number. (We intend on giving him a call later because he said he’d love to show us around.)
The rest… well.
Breifly.
Arrive at Nido, wait for about half an hour to to be let into our rooms, unpack, Ally and I go to get our Tube pass, then to get cellphones, which we didn’t get because the plan we wanted didn’t have the cheap £10 phones we wanted (they come in tomorrow), did some light grocery shopping, walked back (check bottom of page to see the walking progress Ally and I did. NO TRANSPORTATION USED. I am pooped!), put things away, we’re dying for a shower, put Nido wanted to charge £16 for a non-discript ‘Towel Bale’. Knowing Nido, I decided to do some investigating. We were going to travel south towards Thames because there is an Ikea there with towels for cheaper. We must have walked everywhere but Ikea. But we saw so many sites!
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Day 2 was another fabulous day in London! After Orientation we (Ally, Caitlin Santevenere, an English Major at Stevenson University, and I) went walking along Holloway Road, thinking we were going South towards the next Tube stop, Caledonion, but we actually walked NORTH WEST towards ARCHWAY! A good mile and a half out of the way! How can we American’s be so stupid! Maybe my sense of direction isn’t so great… Ally and I swear we are going to get a compass.
After a long day, we decided to hit the pub. We didn’t know any to go to. We were just going to take a stab in the dark when Caitlin told us she met like 10 Brits who would go to the pub with us! 3 pubs later and many wonderful conversations later it was already 1:30 am and my day was coming to a close! O boy!
Today is another orientation and the same group of fellas want us to go out again. Exciting! Friends already!!!
Cheers!
Well said.