I DID IT!!!

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Finally! I'm here at King's Cross and I have some time before my train leaves to take me north so I've decided to take some time to post. Typing on the international keyboard isn't easy and it's going to take some time to learn that the shift key is shorter and farther away than my pinky is used to going. :-)

My journey started last night at 7:10pm and ended when I arrived in London at 9:45am. (It felt like 4:45am EST--5 hours difference to the East Coast.) No problems with any of the flights or luggage or anything. The flight attendant on the flight to Dulles was fantastic. We chatted and sort of poked fun at the man in front of me that was popping Vicodin during the flight...that guy was feeling goooooood.

Then I got on the HUGE plane to bring me across the ocean and I had an aisle seat in the center section and it turns out that no one sat next to me! So I stole the extra blanket and used the storage space under that seat so that I had room for my legs. I was very excited about the movie choices and I can now die happy knowing that I've seen Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement.

After "disbarking" from the plane, I got the first stamp in my passport (btw, not very exciting) and went through the "nothing to declare" portion of the hall and then had to find my way to the Underground.

I think I did it right because the nice man behind bulletproof glass didn't look at me too strangely when I asked for my "Single to King's Cross." (Thanks for the heads up Helen.) It was only about 2 minutes until the train got there and I boarded. It was very nice to see that I had boarded the right train AND it was headed in the direction to which I wanted it (Linda, I tried to fix it so that it didn't have a prep. at the end, but it still doesn't sound right!?!?) 23 stops and about an hour later I made it to King's Cross Station and then tried to lug my 76 pounds of luggage up a large flight of stairs. (Mental picture anyone?) A very nice British man helped me and I will be eternally grateful.

So I had some time and decided to go exploring, hence how I found the internet cafe. I must have been doing something right because a London trucker (yes, there is such a thing!) yelled out his window at me, "Looking good, baby." Now, typically, I wouldn't have been so very impressed with this, but seeing as I'm in a foreign country, I'm going to let that one pass and take it as a compliment. ;-)

I found some interesting establishments as I walked around. The Jaguar dealership is through a little stone archway in the front of a building and it opens into a room that houses all the cars. If you didn't know it was there, you'd never find it. I kind of expected Herbie the Love Bug to come bounding out!

I also passed the Royal Ear, Throat, and Nose Clinic, the British Orthodontic Association, and a couple of really interesting hotels. The Travelodge has a statue on top that is holding what looks to be a triton. Go figure!

There are also two McDonalds right across the street from each other! I will never understand the marketing strategy behind the multiple locations in close proximity. They are serving up something that I may have to try before getting on the train though...the Chicken Curry Sandwich. Sounds tasty to me!

Ok, must run. I have to get something little to eat and then go sit in the station so I don't miss my train. I hope to talk to all of you more-it's really easy for you to leave a message for me. If you want it to be private, click on send message and if you don't care, just click on comment. This website is SOOOOO easy to use so I hope you'll try it. Talk more later!

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Photos

Getting to England
It took a car ride (thanks Lauren), two flights through huge airports, a ride on the Tube, and a GNER train, but I made it to see Helen.

Differences
Throughout the Heathrow airport, there are all sorts of signs letting visitors know that there are all sorts of cultural differences and that being aware of the differences can really help in dealing with foreign cultures.

King's Cross Station
I'm standing across the street from the station. The large building on the left is part of the station, but they are doing MAJOR renovations/additions to the station. Behind the large roofed structure attached to the buiding on the left is St. Pancras Station but I didn't get that far. Everything I needed was in the King's Cross Station.

Double Decker Buses
Aren't they just so cool?! I never got to ride one, but this was one of the first things I saw after I came out of the station.

Internet Cafe
Really original with the name, I know, but this was my first experience with an internet cafe and it was a good one...after I got used to the different keyboard.

Departures
I took a GNER train to Doncaster and had to find out from which platform my train left. As you can see, there were lots of trains and lots of people waiting on trains.

GNER Train
The train I took north runs a basic route between London and Aberdeen (Scotland) and calls at various stations in between.

Comments

[anonymous]

yeah, you go!
have a blast - let me know how the curry chicken turned out. i wish i could do what your doing right now, but alas - i have a job to go to and debt to pay off. perhaps in about 5 years i will be ready for my own adventure across the pond. have fun. - mandebooks

[anonymous]

Glad to hear you're there!
I'm glad your trip so far has been positive. Please continue to let us know how things are going. By the way, how about ". . .glad to know it was headed in the desired direction," for a solution to your syntax dilemna? - Linda

[anonymous]

Glad you made it safe and sound. It sounds like it's going to be a wonderful adventure. Way to go! Also, I like your idea of a journal - We love to hear about your trip as you go! - Aunt Ruby