phoenix.dallas.london.

The first 48 hours in Europe was a whirlwind adventure. Getting in to London at 7:30am I was met by an AIFS representative who took me to the hotel where we were staying. I was a quite a bit more jet lagged than I had realized at the time. There was no turning back now I was in LONDON!!!(not that I was thinking of turning back-I was just thinking how I would miss everyone from home and school) At the hotel, our rooms were not ready yet so there was not an option of squeezing in a shower or a much needed power nap. We were forced/encouraged to see the sights! I was the only one on my connecting flight from Dallas so I decided to be bold and invite myself to join some fellow students. I met two girls from Arkansas and two who went to school in Alabama. They were all very welcoming and polite. I was so excited to start this awesome voyage I had right at my fingertips, but at the same time all I could think of was how sleep deprived I was. Despite the lack of sleep we all had we were determined to experience the life of the Londoners.

 The escapades began when we bought a day pass for the tube which was 6.60 pounds. I was better at navigating my way around London than I thought I would be and the tube became a large convenience to my daily travels. We headed to see the Westminster abbey, the clock tower, the Queen’s Calvary, and I am sure we walked past more than we realized. It was hard to be a real person and interact with the sleep pulling at my brain. We ate at a small little restaurant called Garfunkel’s and then decided it would be a good idea to head back to the hotel to see if our rooms had been prepared. Luckily they were and I had time to take a quick nap before the welcome cocktails that we had planned for 6:30 that evening. I met even more people from all over the US! It seems the majority are from the East Coast and the Midwest. After the welcome I got my taste of a true English Pub! I had to immerse myself into the culture as much as I could for the two short days I would be in London. The atmosphere of the pub was so relaxed and fun. Some friends and I split the traditional meat pies and fish and chips. I was not the biggest fan of the meat pies, especially the chicken liver flavor, but the experience was imperative. 

After the Pub we took the tube to Picidily Circus. This was somewhat equivalent to a smaller version of Times Square. We walked around and got a taste of the London nightlife! There is so much diversity in London it was interesting who we ran into along the way. Our second day in London, we took a sightseeing tour of the city. We got to see Buckingham Palace, and The City of London which is the oldest part of London. (it is more southern London) One of my favorite activities in London was seeing they play Chicago. The music was amazing and the roles were casted wonderfully, especially Velma Kelly, Billy, and Amos! The night ended with a BANG! But after the excitement we were off to bed for our 5:45 departure of the hotel to the airport. Just when it seemed we were not total strangers to London, ready set, you are off to Italy!!!!