Sequels

    I just finished my first day in London, and it was so full of emotions and great moments. It was an incredibly long day due to time changes and overnight flights. The flight to London from Dallas lasted eight hours and I did not sleep through any of it. I did consider myself very lucky because I was sitting next to a very nice couple from Malaysia. They were visiting their daughter in the states and were on their way home on that flight. When we arrived in London it was 8:00 in the morning, meaning there was no time to go and take a nap. We had to shift from one day to another with no rest in between. Isn't it crazy that sitting down for so long can actually be exhausting?

    Fortunately, despite the jet lag and the exhausting nature of the day, today was great! Initially, I was actually quite nervous, more so than I thought I would be. In the middle of the day as things slowed down and I sat alone to my thoughts, I honestly became scared. I was scared that I wouldn't enjoy myself. Scared that I wouldn't make new friends. Scared that I  wouldn't be able to have a great time, and that somehow by ruining a second trip to London, I would ruin the memory of the first. Lots of it boiled down to the stressful feeling of comparing this new experience with the one I had two years ago. I was initially upset because the living quarters were not as nice as the London Center. And I was concerned by our lack of day trips. But as things got into full swing again, I realized that this could be a new wonderful opportunity. I could use the things that I learned from before to help inform my decisions, to have fun recollections, but also pave way for some new experiences. A group of us went to a wonderful shop called Tazas to get shawarma. It was the first place that I went to on my first trip. And though I was able to go and have a wonderful callback to that first experience, it was a new adventure with some great new people!

    This year the members of my group are staying at flats provided by FIE (The Foundation for International Education). The initial distress came from the fact that all the men are staying in one building called Westgate, while all the women are staying in Hyde Park Gate. The flats themselves are actually pretty nice and are only a block apart from one another. There are only three guys in the group, so we are rooming together. The room is nice and has our own personal fridge/freezer combo and personal bathroom. We do share a bathroom with some other students from other schools on the floor, but it looks quite manageable! 

    Everyone was super jet-lagged, so not too much was done today adventure-wise, at least not for most people.  We were introduced to the area and went shopping to get some groceries. It is really throwing me off because though we are close to Hyde park like I was before, we are on the opposite end. So a lot of this place is familiar, but also flipped in a way! It's bizarro world! We have some tube stops close by and a Sainsbury market that is close, which is always a plus. When we came in to the airport, the group that I was traveling with decided to take a Taxi, but I was convinced that I could go by tube and save some money! And I actually managed to get on and find my way to the new flats without too many problems! Of course the moment I started feeling very proud of myself the handle on my suitcase had to break off! AH! There had to be a catch! 

    In the evening a group of us went to Tazas for the wonderful middle-eastern food, and then went to see St Pauls and the Thames. I am seriously in love with this city! It is so incredibly beautiful and full of culture! We spent a lot of time just looking out at the river and taking some seriously wonderful groupies (selfies featuring multiple people a la Ellen at the Oscars). Too bad it had to be slightly tarnished by the drunken homeless man. First he started off being very mean, and then he started rapping for us... Fortunately I served a mission in Mexico, so I am quite used to drunkards. 

    The day is almost over and I quite survived that we made it as late as we did. My feet hurt really badly, but I know that they will be ready for the walking and adventuring that is to come! There was some stressing and some worrying, but I'm hoping that is all there will be as things are looking great! There are some wonderful adventures to be had! 

Todays to Do:

 Buy Oyster card: √

 Get some Muller Corner Yogurts: √

 Read King Lear for class: √

 Have an adventure: √

Queen's Gate Terrace, home of Metrogate (and me)

 About to eat out at Tazas

 Paul's cross was here. 

 On the steps of St. Paul's

 Love this building so much!

 I could just sit and stare at this view for hours. Almost did.