Thursday, July 30, 2009

I'M IN LONDON!!!


I flew from San Diego to San Francisco to my final destination - London - yesterday!

I've never travelled by myself before so navigating the airport was a stressful experience. The line going through the border agency gates was extremely long, so long that when I realized I left behind Winter's Tale in the backseat of my plane seat (a book which I'll need for the first day of class), half way through the line, I decided it wasn't worth retrieving. Then, when I tried to get cash from an ATM, my account was frozen! My credit card still worked, so I wasn't completely in dire need of cash but I felt a little terrible for not tipping my insanely eccentric cab driver or using my credit card for 2 pounds worth of internet.

My cab driver definitely had a lot to say throughout the drive, being an impromptu tour guide, freely spitting out his own disparaging opinions of the queen (which he offed with his hands), the country ('London is a stupid city - why are you here?'), and the pedestrians (which he joked about running over). He was definitely a personality (all was said and done in good fun... I think). And he gushed about his life story, how he's stuck in London working at this job because of gambling away 1 million pounds from his family business, from which he has been expelled. I laughed the first time he said all this because I totally thought he was joking. But then he repeated it a second time, and I felt bad for laughing it off the first time.

The hostel I'm staying at is way better than I expected, the reception/lounge area is fantastic (with a working bar!) and everything is clean and the staff is super welcoming. The dorm room reminds me of my first year at college, living in a triple-room at Dykstra Hall, but add in a fourth bed and no rancid carpet. I met two Australian besties who are backpacking for a month together and who have a shopping addiction possibly worse than mine, and conked out at around 7PM (I have no sense of time being without my cell phone, plus the time on the computer is unreliable).

5 comments:

Kate said...

Glad you made it ok!

Make sure to call your bank (you probably already have at this point) to let them know you are abroad. I almost always leave this to the last minute before I go abroad-such a pain!

phyllis said...

yay!!!!!
hope you meet some more fascinating people on the trip, but be safe!

Digital Diva said...

Top-shop is really at the bottom when it comes to London's fashion scene. If you want authentic London fashion go to Portobello Road market, Camden Town, and Carnaby street!

Get TIME OUT magazine to see what's happening about town. EnJOY

A Londoner in The OC...

a.mi said...

I love your header! pretty much explains the story of my life, loves fashion but will get a science degree :( have fun in London and be sure to show us your loot when you get back! :)

Alexis {J.Crew Aficionada} said...

Have a wonderful time!!! :)