So if you were expecting a tear-jerker post where I whine about how much I miss home and want to return to America, then do yourself a favor and stop reading. If, however, you were more in the mood for a post where I gush about my current residence and European way of life, then you’ve come to the right place. Sit back and feast your eyes people, because I have just completed week one of my study abroad experience.
I would love to be able to tell you that upon landing at Heathrow airport, I was able to retrieve my bags and find my ride with no problem. Maybe even throw in that Prince Harry had just happened to be there and offered to carry one of my heavy suitcases (or ordered someone to do so). Alas, that was not the case. I found my carousel, no problem, but the luggage cart was a different story. Apparently they have these nifty things in the UK where you have to push the cart handle up from its break position to make it move. Being the complete American that I am, I was unaware and completely oblivious to this. I proceeded to push my entire body weight against the cart in order to make it move only a few feet across the airport floor. Clearly struggling but desperate to look as if I knew what I was doing, I pretended that my slow movement was deliberate as I scanned the crowd for my older sister (side note: she lives in England and was my ride).
Ten minutes later my sister and her English beau made their way through the crowd. Her boyfriend took the cart from me, lifted the handle, and pushed it with ease to the tube station. Cool. Lesson number one learned: people in the UK are scared of losing control of their luggage carts, and therefore value break systems.
Aside from my newly learned knowledge about luggage carts, I have also come to find that everything in London is beautiful. My first real outing into London was when my program arranged for all the students to take a riverboat trip across the Thames River to Greenwich and then find our own way home (via the tube or bus). As we floated along, I had no real intention of paying much attention. I had seen central London before and was more excited about going to Greenwich, a place I had never been. But when you’re surrounded by some pretty unbelievable architecture, you cannot help but join in with the rest of them and click a few pictures. I could not (still cannot) wrap my head around the flawless juxtaposition of architecture that makes up London. The city is a mixture of ancient and modern architectural styles. Upon first hearing and envisioning this, one would think it was a recipe for disaster. How can today’s modernistic look blend in any way with the classical past? Somehow in London it completely works.
My day yesterday was a bit of an adventure. I went to the Thames River Festival, an event that stretches across three bridges along Embankment. As my friends and I walked along, the aroma of multiple food stands had me lingering and listening to my stomach over my wallet (side note: London is full of restaurants but their only signature food is fish and chips…questionable—a post to come about food sure to come soon).
I have never people-watched so much in my life. There was a huge lawn just under the London Eye where every kind of character you could imagine was sitting and listening to the live music. I saw people dressed up, people yelling, people drinking, and people publicly displaying their affection for others. It may not sound that awesome, but I kept thinking how much cooler this was than where I live. Where I’m from, we have an okra strut where the people of my small southern town make different types of okra. As thrilling as that is, here there are artsy river festivals with live music and exotic food (even more exotic than okra).
Another lesson I have learned, and the one that has wrapped up my week, is that everything in London kind of comes full circle. I mean that directionally, not metaphorically. Okay, maybe not full circle, but definitely full circular shape (like an amoeba). It is not as easy to get lost as you may think. I am one of those people who enjoy the prospect of getting lost. I like seeing things that I have never seen and in London I have had the perfect opportunity to do so. One day after finding my classroom building, I decided to take a walk around the immediate area of where I live. I had a map in my purse, not entirely convinced that I wanted to ever look at it (but safety first, right?), and set off. I found myself turning at random corners, not knowing where I may end up. After about an hour of walking, I managed to find my way home without a map and only familiar roads and signs as my guides. It was my first experience with feeling that kind of independence that I spoke about so passionately in my first post.
So that’s my week in a nutshell: luggage carts, architecture, festivals, and a random excursion. Tomorrow I have my first week of classes and have plans to attend a Rugby game. Maybe they’ll let me play? Haha… betcha can’t wait to read about that! Cheers!