Welcome to London Town

Okay, so I made it. With all the luggage. And with my sanity. Shocking? Yes. Relieved? Yes. SoexcitedIcan'tevenbebotheredtoputspacesinmysentences? Yes.

I arrived this morning, early, around 7am. The flight was uneventful, the sky was deliciously cloudy and I was more excited than words could probably describe. My parents and I checked into the hotel (which is right near Parliament and the London Eye) and promptly slept for three hours. When we woke up, we walked along the south bank of the river. There were fun street performers and a graffittied skate park and people everywhere. I couldn't stop smiling. We went to check out Bankside, but we couldn't see much. Then we went to Borough Market. I am going to love that place. Fresh fruits and veggies and a vibrant public. Coudln't ask for much more. Then we went up to LSE - I am so excited to start school!! There is so much to do in and around school that I am going to be so busy. Yay!

Tonight, I went out to dinner with Andy, a guy I met through Mark when he came to LA. It was great fun. We took a long walk to a great restaurant (if only I could remember the name... next time, less wine!). Talked about politics and he actually wanted to hear about my CMGT thesis (which, btw, is kickass)! Then, we walked back toward the hotel through Picadilly... only to stumble upon the Browns!! For those who don't know, our family spends nearly every major holiday with the Browns and they are the local family we never had. Ryan remarked, "I'd know that voice anywhere." Yes. Laura is Loud. ;) Andy was a great sport and walked back with us and had a drink in the hotel. And now, I am wide awake watching my Sox on Gameday.

Tomorrow, the adventure really begins. I move into Bankside and I will truly begin my time as a resident in London. I can't believe this is real, and this is happening.

I am SO lucky.

Bye Bye USA

Today I leave for my big adventure. In under twelve hours, my parents and I will be on a plane to London! It's hard to believe that it's real. I'm packed (and overpacked) and totally ready to go.

On Sunday I move into Bankside and my LSE wanderings officially start. I'll keep everyone updated on the exciting (and less than exciting) news.

Byeeee Boston. Go Sox!

72 hours to go!

A haiku:

To Bankside I go
I don't understand cricket
Left sided drivers

I know. That was great.

Pre-move jitters

So I'm starting to get a little nervous about the big move. A combination of "I can't wait, get me out of here" and "Oh, holy Jesus, why am I moving across the ocean AND doing more school?!" A week from right now I will be on the plane to England. I'm in the process of figuring out all the little details. I have to get a cell phone, bank account, gym membership. I still have to get USC to pull their fingers out of their ass and send verification of my degree to LSE. I have to figure out what classes I want to take, but I know a couple that I want to take for sure.

I'm comforted in that I know more people in England than I knew when I moved to California. I'm also comforted in that nothing in the world could be worse than Los Angeles or my friends there. I'm more aware of the geography of London and I don't anticipate getting lost too often. I'm going into my program with a masters degree (however much of a joke it really was) under my belt. I'm excited to be living in a dorm again - though I know I will continue to miss Christine!

What I'm worried about:
- No sunlight! It will be dark before 4pm once it gets into the wintery months. I must buy a sun lamp so I don't suffer in the dark.
- Culture shock! Studies show that culture shock is actually more difficult for Americans in the UK (as opposed to other countries) because they expect it to be more similar than it really is. I feel like I KNOW there will be a lot of changes, so I'm hoping I won't suffer too much.
- Missing the Red Sox win the World Series (because they WILL, damn it)
- Making friends. My previous experience with LSE students was 100% negative, and I'm hoping that I'll find people with more depth and compassion than those from the Global Program.
- Money! Everything is so expensive, and as I don't have a kitchen (or at least I am not sure about the status of kitchen accessibility), I fear having to eat out for every meal. That's going to kill both my wallet and my health!
- I was horribly homesick in LA. I know that's partially because I lacked good social support (and LA sucks), so I'm hoping I won't experience the same problems in London.



Packing has been interesting. I'm going to have to leave many of my favorite books behind (for those who don't know, I travel with a library). I've resigned myself to bringing just a few: my Bible, and the first three Harry Potter books. I may bring my favorite Shel Silverstein, and Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss. I know I won't be rereading any of the heavy lifting books, so I'm leaving those here. I'm also limiting how many clothes I bring, I like having clothes that I KNOW I won't wear when I get there, but I'm really trying to leave them behind because I really shouldn't need 6 duffel bags worth of stuff!

I'm excited to see my friends over there and get going on this new adventure, despite all the worries!