I am... Living London

Well for all of you who I am sure were SUPER concerned about my travels and the possibility of terrorist attacks... But thanks to the higher (aka much slower) security I have made it safely to the the land of rain, grey skies, a Queen and her hot grandsons, cool red telephone booths, a giant clock named Ben, people who talk really cool, a drinking age of only 18! :P, great theatre, fascinating history, I honestly could go on and on... but best not bore you.

As I was walking though the airport though the absolute longest walk ever, I really couldn't believe I was here in London again. It was just this past July that I said (what I thought would be) my final good bye to this place that I love, for a very long time at least. Little did I know that I would be sitting here today with 3 suitcases (i don't call it over packing I just call it being prepared) planning on living here on my own for the next 4 months. I don't know anyone... except Kevin kind of haha, and it just weird leaving everyone behind. I am going back and forth with emotions. The main ones I am having are doubt (thinking I am absolutely crazy/stupid for doing this) and anticipation (thinking about all the new people and places I will encounter, and the excitement of it all). I plan to stay positive and just try to take in and enjoy each and every min here.

The first of the enjoyable time was my journey from the airport to a friends flat for the night. I honestly should have been filmed... I probable stood out like a sore thumb, as much as I try to blend in, I was obviously a "dumb American" today ha ha. After getting off the flight and saying goodbye to the very sweet old man that talked to me for a couple of hours as we were on the plane, I was off. Security was easy, and I got my bags easy enough... but that's when the trouble hit. The bags of annoyance and heaviness and trolleys that don't go the direction you try to push. It was all fine until I came to the entrance to get to the trains... aka a slightly steep incline that my heavy trolley liked to go very fast down the incline. I made it past that craziness and then got my ticket and headed for the Heathrow Express! Kind of like the Hogwarts Express!! Oh this is just the start of the Harry Potter connections :D i couldn't bring my trolley onto the train so when it finally can i was lugging these huge suitcases into the train as fast as I could b4 it would leave. This is all the while many other ppl were getting on the train that were obviously lighter packers and did care nor want to deal with me.

There was a nice Canadian girl I met though. She had a 12hr. layover in London and then was headed to South Africa... I am so jealous its summer there right now! Anyway she was very nice and I don't think she judged me for my American ways ha ha. So after I got to Paddington Station I had to lug my suitcases again to another trolley. Then proceeded to find the taxis. I probably looked like a lost lil puppy. My trolley kept getting stuck and my suitcases were almost falling off. I finally found the taxi line, but it was so long and of course I had to drop my trolley off at the back of the line and could use it all the way up to the loading place... LAME!! There were 2 very nice business men who although were very helpful were also judging me HARD CORE!! haha I got in my taxi and was off.

It always surprises me on how much I recognize and actually know about the city of London. I drove by some major landmarks on my way to the flat. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben/ Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, ect. It just makes this crazy/excitement feeling grow even more. AAHHH i get the chills just thinking about it... and not only cuz its really cold in this flat haha.

Well this is long... moral of the story as good crazy or bad crazy as this is I have made it to London safely and I am so ready to embark on this adventure!