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Published: September 13th 2009
At the Airport
All of my stuff to live with until April.We finally arrived in the United Kingdom, after years of planning. It was a rough journey getting here. We arrived at the airport early and checked our bags. We ate steaks at the Chophouse with our plastic knives, which was interestingly delicious. I said a few tearful goodbyes to Sam and boarded the plane.
The flight itself was up and down. It took 8½ hours, but there was plenty of entertainment to pass the time. They had many movies, tv shows and documentaries from which to choose and you had the ability to play, pause, rewind and fast forward as you wished. I watched an episode of “Frasier”, “Flight of the Conchords” and then settled down to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. I realized shortly through the flight that my seat did not recline… so that made for an interesting time. Since the flight took place during the night in the United States and was set to land around noon in the UK, many people slept in order to be well rested for our arrival. I, on the other hand, found sleep almost impossible. I could not sleep sitting up because my head repeatedly fell forward. I leaned against the
At the Airport
My parents and me at dinner at the airport. window but I got such a sharp pain in my back that it was impossible. I leaned forward on the tray table and had my head and neck squashed between the window and the seat in front of me. In every position I would begin falling asleep and part of my body would fall asleep and wake me up. Who knew that I could not sleep at the same time as my arm. At this point, I was so exhausted and cranky and all that I could think of was how much I wanted to be at home with Sam and Charleigh in my bed. I just burst into tears and could not cry. However, I finally fell asleep for about an hour.
I felt much better when I woke and the reality of what was actually happening in my life. I grew extremely excited and just could not wait. We flew in over Scotland and the Northern part of the UK and probably over the area that I am going to be living in. From the air, the UK looks extremely different from Colorado and many parts of the US. The farmland is all made up of oddly
shaped fields separated by fences and stonewalls. It just was an interesting contrast to the perfectly shaped circular and rectangular fields you fly over in Kansas and other farm states. The buildings themselves, obviously, are quite different from the US. You definitely feel like you are in a different country even before you land.
We went through Immigration and Customs quickly and easily. We had made such a big deal about getting the paperwork for Immigration and it was incredibly unnecessary. We took an hour-long train to London and then walked with all of our enormous bags for 25 minutes to our hotel. I definitely recommend taking as little as possible when you travel and just washing the clothes that you bring, etc. However, I have to carry everything with me that I will use in the next three months, and it is awful. I also recommend that you check that everything works in your seat on the airplane before you take off.
We had a wonderful hotel room near Russell Square called The Academy. I had my own room and bathroom. We slept for a few hours and got ready for dinner. We went on a very
Thames Cruise
My Dad and I enjoy our dinner cruise. elegant dinner cruise of the River Thames that took off from a pier right across from the London Eye, down near Parliament and Westminster Abbey. The cruise was fabulous. It lasted from 8-11 and had live music, champagne and a four-course meal with after dinner drinks. We took off going towards Parliament and were all absolutely excited. My dad, in shock, even said “that’s Big-frickin-Ben”. It was a wonderful reality check to fully realize that we were finally in the place that we had always wanted to go. I’m so thankful that my parents came with me so they could finally see it and I could show them all of the wonderful things that I had seen when I came here before.
I also got to order what I thought was my first legal glass of wine, but actually found out that it was my first legal bottle of wine…. So the three of us had quite a fun evening with our large amounts of alcohol. Other highlights of the cruise were the Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s Cathedral, many bridges including London Bridge and the Millennium Bridge, The Tower of London, and The Tower Bridge. The most ridiculous part
Thames Cruise
Mom and me on the dinner cruise. of the cruise was passing under the Tower Bridge, which is extremely gorgeous. The boat spun around three times and played the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah. This was absolutely insanely cheesy. I can imagine that this, to the locals, was hilarious. It seems like the equivalent of circling the Statue of Liberty playing “I’m Proud to be an American”. I got a good laugh.
There were many times during the cruise that I found myself getting overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. I am absolutely the most fortunate person in the world for being allowed to do what I am doing. I thanked my parents profusely and they told me that they were extremely happy to be able to come with me. I can’t wait for this adventure to continue.
After the cruise, we stumbled along the streets along Parliament and Westminster Abbey. We found our way back to our hotel and I chatted with Sam before quickly passing out to bed.
In the morning we woke up, had breakfast, and made our way to King’s Cross for our train to Edinburgh. My parents will return to London after dropping me off at school. In the meantime,
Thames Cruise
Dad and I share my first legal drink on the cruise. we will spend 3 days in Edinburgh and 3 days in Dublin. King’s Cross is a nice station that is fairly easy to get around in, and, as my parents pointed out, is very different from how it looks in the Harry Potter movies. I did not, however, see a Platform 9 ¾, as was rumored to exist. I might have just missed it, but I was very reluctant to ask someone.
Right now I am on my way to Edinburgh, passing through Doncaster. The countryside is very beautiful and there are many nice locals on the train to talk to. We pass many farms that look as I described on the plane. All of the buildings are so old and classic and each town we pass has a large, ornate church or cathedral. This is a wonderful way to see the country. We are scheduled to arrive in Edinburgh four and a half hours after our departure. I’m sure that when we do, we will find a hotel and pass out. One thing you learn about travel is to appreciate a good bed when you have it, because sleeping on a train is no fun at all. We
don’t have plans for tonight yet, but I’ll keep you all posted.
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Amanda Lautermilch
non-member comment
Wonderful!
Erin, It sounds so exciting! It's crazy hearing you describe London and being able to remember all the places you're seeing. The cruise sounds like a hoot. I hope you and your parents enjoy Edinburg and Dublin! Keep the blogs coming! Amanda