After an 8 hour flight, 1 hour of customs, and 45 minutes of airport-to-hotel commuting, I have arrived in my new "home away from home". The flight was pleasant. I watched Hannah and Water for Elephants, both of which I'd wanted to see. Around 3 a.m. EST, I peeked out the window of the plane and was blown away. The best way I can think to describe it is to imagine the "I Can Show You the World" carpet ride scene in Disney's Aladdin. The sky was a dark purple with thousands of blinking stars and fluffy white clouds were highlighted by the nearly-full moon. It was certainly the prettiest thing I've seen in a very long time.
A happy surprise when we "alighted" from the Underground, a smiling sun and cloud-freckled sky. (My favorite.) I've always said I bring the sun with me when I travel, and today was no different. What a treat!
The journey has thus far been uneventful. No lost baggage, no delayed flights, no transport mix-ups. (Thank goodness!) My "strong like bull" attitude helped when it came to hefting the suitcases up the stairs from the underground and down the road about half a mile to the hotel.
The search for Oreo cookies found me empty handed and craving America's favorite cookie. It's simply too early in this adventure for such cravings. A Magnum bar served as a consolation prize and I was happy to discover that the real ones taste significantly better than the American ones. I guess there's hope for the future after all.
Over the next few days, I will hopefully acquire all the things that I will need for the months ahead. I'm missing my friends and family already, but keeping a stiff upper lip for the time being. I'll have my emotional breakdown in the privacy of my own dorm room (aka Thursday).
