First & Second Day

Well, here I am in London. I think it's finally started to hit me that I'm in the UK, but only slightly. Here are some updates as to what's happened so far:

Day One

- left JFK airport an hour late due to runway traffic.
- had a fantastic flight - the food was better than the dining halls back in Providence.
- watched Notes on a Scandal, but I didn't really like it all that much.
- tried to nap a bit, but couldn't do it.
- arrived at Heathrow.
- waited FOREVER to get through customs.
- got asked a bajillion and one questions by the immigration woman.
- waited a ridiculously long time again to get onto the bus to bring us to campus.
- got let off at the wrong stop with the rest of the group.
- waited fifteen minutes, trying to figure out where we were.
- got picked up by an AIFS representative who brought us to Atlantic House.
- got settled in and unpacked.
- complained A LOT about how the wireless isn't working yet in the rooms.
- went shopping at Boots and Waitrose Market.
- came back for dinner.
- went shopping again at Boots and walked around Kensington and Chelsea.
- went out to the Gloucester Arms pub & had a pint of Guinness. (delicious!)
- came back and passed out.

Day Two

- had an orientation meeting.
- ate at a delicious French cafe (tomato and mozzarella on a French baguette - mmmm!)
- came back to Atlantic House.

What's in store for later on today? Well, the Chelsea v. Manchester United football match is on in about two and a half hours, so I think a bunch of us are going to head out to either the Builders Arms pub or the Greyhound pub to catch it. I don't know what the rest of the day entails, but we might find ourselves back at the Gloucester Arms or any of the other aforementioned establishments. Maybe we'll take a trip on the Underground to Harrod's or something. I do know that I have to buy an Oystercard at the Gloucester Rd. chip station .. so maybe I'll head down there to get that taken care of. Who knows? I think that's one of the best parts of this whole thing .. it's all so .. spontaneous. And up in the air. And completely brilliant.

Some of us were talking today about the trips that we want to take while we're in the UK. Scotland, Paris, and Stonehenge came up quite a bit. And Harrod's, of course. But that's much more local can the other three. I would absolutely LOVE to go to Scotland. Glasgow, anyone? Boswell? Gerry Butler? Paolo Nutini? Sean Connery? Ha! That would be fantastic, though. I think that's where a lot of my disbelief still comes from - we can go virtually anywhere in Europe (as long as the funds hold out, of course) .. and it's not even that much of a trip. It's absolutely mind blowing.

Well, that's all for now. Once I get wireless up in my room, I'll be sure to post the pictures that I've taken so far. There isn't a ridiculous amount of them, but .. enough for only a day and a half.

Cheers!