Oh My Goodness! Days 1 & 2 of Studying Abroad!
May 22nd, 2015 — All I’ve really said since I’ve arrived is different variations of “oh my goodness” because this place is magical. It’s been a whirlwind of wonderful people, food, transportation and sights! Here’s a quick recap…
My flight to London was great. I was delayed nearly two hours (one hour due to weather at Heathrow and then another hour because British Airways thought we had an extra piece of luggage on the plane so they had to go through a process of checking it) but it all worked out fine. I was extraordinarily lucky because the seat next to me was OPEN! I was able to store my carryon under the middle seat, which allowed me to stretch out and enjoy my window seat. The food on the plane was delicious. I started the flight with water and a mini bottle of complimentary red wine. A little while later I had a hot chicken meal with a caesar salad, bread, and the most delicious dessert I’ve ever eaten. Seriously, I could’ve eaten an entire cake of it. It was so fluffy and the consistency was immaculate. The taste was divine. Chocolatey with a little crunch at the end. Wow! A+. I slept for about three hours and awake to tea and a muffin. We had to circle the airport a few times for traffic clearance, but it wasn’t an issue because it allowed me to see the Thames a couple of times!
Upon arrival, I met my friend Katy and our driver. He was holding a sign that read, “Miss Natalie Zazula,” which is a first for me. #fancy It took about 40 minutes to reach our flat and I was uber tired during the drive. However, once we arrived in Camden Town my adrenaline started pumping and the exhaustion went away. I set my suitcase in my room, looked around the flat, and within two hours I was on a walking tour of my borough. It’s very grungy but amazing! The Camden Lock Market is wonderful and I can’t wait to explore it more! The food stalls all smell great and the prices of everything are wondrous.
I bought a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (and then bought more today), had my first pint of British beer (a tasty local lager), enjoyed steak & ale pie, and then went to bed.
Today, I woke up at 8:30 and met up with friends around 10. We walked Camden Coffee House, which is a coffee shop I’d found via Google and started following on Twitter a few weeks ago. It’s very close to my flat and I imagine I’ll frequent it. I had a long black, which is a double espresso something condensed into an 8oz cup. It was delicious. I obviously drank it black.
After coffee, I rode the Tube for the first time! It is clean and it is mighty efficient. With my tuition, I have an unlimited Oyster Card (aka Tube pass) for Zones 1 &2, which takes me to many, many places! We rode over to South Kensington to see the borough that CAPA International is located. I discovered that the Royal Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea are very different from Camden Town, but very cool too. It was much more regal in architecture, residents, and shops. I discovered a British store called Oliver Bonas where I purchased a scarf and very versatile cardigan. I found a fancy make-up store where I was suckered into buying lip stain (suckered in = I have no willpower).
My three friends and I then found a cute little pub, with a wonderful barman who laughed at my inability to understand British coins, and that served delicious food. I tried another British classic, bangers & mash, and I was not disappointed. I then found my first TopShop, so I obviously bought lipstick because I have been researching it for months! I’ll be wearing it tomorrow, no worries.
After food and shopping, we had to make our way to our first day of orientation. It took about three hours and I learned the basics of school, transportation and other things. Nothing really exciting but important nonetheless.
PLATFORM 9 3/4 CAME NEXT! Why yes, I did cry, thanks. It was the first time I’ve cried since being here. Like the Americans we are, we traipsed right into King’s Cross and heading for Platforms 3 and 4, because I somewhere read that those platforms were important. Whatever, nothing important was there. The important part is in the main atrium of King’s Cross. We queued and then got marvelous photos. I had to use my Spanish skills to communicate with another traveler who did not speak English. It was rough, because I haven’t spoken Spanish in over a year, but it worked and I was able to help her sort things out well enough.
My tears came as I looked at The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4 (http://www.harrypotterplatform934.com). I bought all seven books from the series in paperback. I will buy hardback at a later date and send them off to the States. I needed my seven paperback books though so that I can read them in various different parts of the UK. The employee who helped me was super nice and he knew where Michigan was! He said it was by Canada and he was right!
After Platform 9 3/4, we took the Tube back to Camden Town where we all made food in our flats and then reconvened. We wanted to explore but knew that stalls and shops in Camden Town all shut down pretty early. It was already 9 pm and nothing was interesting us so we hopped back on the Tube and went to Charing Cross station. That’s when the night got very amazing.
From Charing Cross station we found Trafalgar Square, which is where J.K. Rowling said “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home” during her speech at the Deathly Hallows 2 premiere. I dare you not to cry if you decide to watch! We took turns climbing up to take pictures with the big lions in the Square and it was not easy because they rest upon marble that is hard to get a grip on. However, I prevailed and then as I sat with the lion we discovered that Big Ben was in the background. A mini freakout occurred.
From Trafalgar Square, we walked towards Big Ben…yet we lost sight of it and then found it and all died a little! It is truly beautiful. The ornate architecture and design is just stunning. We truly strolled around the Thames. We stopped a lot to look at Big Ben and Parliament. I cried when we were on a foot bridge looking at the reflection on the water because I was brought to the scene in one of the Harry Potter films where they are flying down the Thames and pass the Riverside Terrace of the Houses of Parliament. Tears were real for all of us at that moment.
I do apologize that this post is dragging. I am getting very tired and it is 1:24 am at this moment here in London. So, the rest of this is going to be super duper brief. We crossed the Thames, saw the London Eye, sat on a bench and appreciated the view for a few minutes, went inside this free outdoor festival venue (which we will be going back to for evening beer, walked across a footbridge and then took a double decker bus back to Camden. We sat on top, had a wondrous view, and then got back home. It was a marvelous day! I’m meeting with friends at 9 am to explore some more before orientation and tea tomorrow!
