Welcome to...London?

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I am incapable of flying overseas without encountering some disaster or another. Whether it's a two-day delayed arrival in Dublin or an airplane strike that necessitates a midnight bus ride to Barcelona, I should have learned by now that ''a smooth trip'' is never in the cards.

Yesterday (or earlier this morning, I'm not really sure anymore), approximately six hours before I was to fly into Heathrow, the university sent an e-mail to international students urging us to delay our travel plans because of severe weather. (For my fellow Chicagoans, severe weather here apparently means less than a foot of snow.) It was enough to shut down public transportation in Brighton and enough to convince me that it would be foolish to try to take a bus from Heathrow to Brighton, which had been my plan. So, after a panicked phone call and a kind offer from a friend in London, I decided to fly to London anyway (after all, I didn't stay up all night wrestling with my suitcases for nothing) and take an unexpected, one-day detour into downtown London. Good decision.

With that settled, my trip began. I had an aisle seat and a friendly neighbor who I chatted with, and at the end of the flight, he gave me his business card invited me to stay with him and his wife in Manchester. A little sketchy, perhaps, but it's the thought that counts. I also walked away with a new appreciation for airline food. Although, the main dish looked (and tasted) nothing like the chicken it was supposed to be, whatever I had for dessert (a white chocolate, caramel cake thing, I think?), was delicious. Unfortunately, the pleasant conversation and surprisingly tasty dessert were balanced out by not one, not two, but three crying babies and a small child who could find nothing better to do than kick the back of my already-uncomfortable seat, conditions which prevented me from getting more than two hours of sleep. Still, I got through customs without a problem, and the airline didn't even lose my suitcase, so I'm going to call the flight a success.

Unfortunately, I think that lack of sleep came back to bite me, because after collecting my suitcases and buying a train ticket to downtown London, I promptly got on the wrong train and ended up going the opposite direction. Who knew you actually had to pay attention to which train you got on? Fortunately, it was easily remedied, and I had no more misadventures before getting to my friend's charming flat.

As it turns out, this is may be the best possible way to begin my study abroad experience. It was such a relief to see a friendly face and have the chance to relax and catch up on some sleep before attempting to transition to life at Sussex. I've enjoyed visiting with my friend and walking around the neighborhood; there's so much to see. I think I'm going to have to spend more time in London than I originally planned!

Is this the obligatory part of any blog where I reflect on my first impressions of England? Yes, indeed it is. This entire process has been so surreal for me. I think I must have been in denial until the day before I left, because I was hardly nervous AT ALL (those of you who know me well will appreciate how strange this is), only excited. Saying goodbye to my family was as tough as expected, but all through the plane ride, part of me felt like I was just heading back to St. Louis for a few weeks. It wasn't until we landed and a British flight attendant spoke on the PA that it hit me; I was in England. Excitement ensured, and so far, I haven't been disappointed. I'm silly enough to still be charmed by the novel accents all around me, and everyone I've met has been friendly. Although I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, when I walk around outside, I can tell that I'm not anywhere near Kansas anymore. It's not a bad thing, and right now, it's a very exciting, good thing.

Next up on my schedule (in no particular order): sleeping, watching tv, reading, and maybe a little bit of squealing because, after so many months of anticipation, I'm finally here! Stay tuned for what is sure to be a harrowing trip (a little melodramatic? Ok, how about an adventure?) to Brighton sometime in the near future!