(Ok, is that not the most clever title EVER!?! I know...I rock!) I am now officially in London!!! Sorry for the delay but without an adaptor it is hard to plug in and the internet is slow so hopefully I will get down a system of writing. (I am also making this my journal, so sorry if the entries are long!) I can't believe I am here! I feel like I just stepped into a movie! It is everything I thought it would be and more! Let me first recap my experience of getting here: (*WARNING! WARNING! Pictures were taken after traveling for 24 hours! Don't judge!) I first left the Phoenix Airport around 7am ( I woke up at 4am. An early beginning to a long day!).
I then flew to Atlanta (the flight was about 4 hours) where I met up with about 12 others from Salt Lake. I was really happy that I didn't have to fly alone! We flew through the night to London (it was a 9 hour flight). I didn't sleep very well on the plane but I was able to watch the movie "Leap Year", so it was all worth it!
Once we arrived in London (to the Gatwick Airport) we had to go through Customs. I was scared that something would go completely wrong and that I would somehow be sent back on the plane home. But, it went fine and we all made it safely through. We then caught a shuttle to the otherside of the airport. (It was really strange and scary driving on the WRONG side of the road!
We then caught a train called the "Gatwick Express". It was about a 45 minute ride and it took us from the airport to Victoria Station in London.
When we arrived at Victoria Station as we walked outside I started screaming beacause all of a sudden I saw big red double decker busses and red telephone booths! (What is more London? Right?) We then had to catch a Taxi to the BYU London Center. We decided to split up and have 3 of us each go in one.
It was cool to see the places as we drove past them.We then arrived at the London Center and we were accepted with open arms. Here are some pictures of where I will be living the next 2 months.
I was put in Dorm 1, which has good and bad things about it. Good Things: Only 8 girls in my room, 2 showers for all of us, I have my own closet, I got the bottom bunk, and...I don't have to climb 70 stairs up to get to my room! Not as Good Things: The girls in my room are super quite which is sometimes not as fun and I feel as though I don't get to meet as many people because we are so far away. When I got here I also got my bedding...which was interesting. They don't beleive in two sheets here in London, only one. So you sleep on a sheet and what goes over you is just a sleeping pad put into a sheet. Weird, and not too comfy.
The rest of the day we just had free time to tour London. Now let me just remind you...I left at 4am on April 27th and arrived 7am April 28th. But there is about a 8 hour difference in time and so when I arrived at the Center (about 10am)it was really 2am at home. I was completely thrown off time wise and as we walked all around London and saw the sights I was dead. They encouraged us not to take a nap because then we wouldn't be tired in the evening, so I tried my hardest to stay awake. We are each also assigned kitchen duty while we are here and so I was choosen for this week, which I was actually really happy about. I just come an hour before and after and just help set up and then do the dishes. The food here is actually also really good! Can I just tell you...before coming here I never really had Nutella. But people eat like it's candy...and it basically is. Sandwiches consist of peanut butter and nutella. What goes on your toast in the morning? Nutella. Yeah, weird. I slept pretty well my first night and only woke up a couple times but it was strange because when I went to bed it was 4pm at home and when I woke up it was 11:30pm. Can you see why I am a little mixed up? I am heading to class in a little bit, so I will explain more adventures later but I have basically seen everything cool thing that I have wanted to see in London, in the past two days. It has been so fun and busy! I am can't wait to live here the next 2 months! Love you all! Cheerio!
One of the classes I am taking in London is called "London Walks". We are required to go see different places around London each week (tough class, huh!). We have a book to follow, it tells us where to go, the route, what to see and all about the site. I have to do something each week for my class to show what site I saw and what I learned from it. So...now on the right side of my blog there is a place called "Pages: London Walks". My professor will look at it to grade it, but you can look at it too! So come follow me!
