Day 1: Peanut Butter

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Greetings from England! 😊

I hope everyone back home is doing well! As for me, I can confidently say that I have had one of the most thrilling and exhausting days of my life. I thought packing was stressful enough! I was quickly put in my place when the security officers at the Savannah Airport found my bag to be suspicious. They proceeded to interrogate me by asking, "Ma'am, do you have any sharp objects in here that I would need to know about?" Of course, I responded with a flat, "No." Instead of taking my word, they searched my bag and confiscated my beloved Jif Peanut Butter. I am still fairly bitter about this incident. Our first flight from Savannah to Atlanta was delayed about thirty minutes. We were nervously eyeing the clock as time ticked closer to our 8:55 p.m. departure from our connecting flight from ATL to Manchester. It was 7:25 before we finally taxied down the runway. We arrived at Atlanta International Airport at exactly 8:15. Our flight boarded at 8:00. We sprinted from terminal B and sprinted to E at the opposite end of the airport. We were met with a kind lady at our gate who managed to hold the plane while we boarded. We were hot, sweaty, and very much relieved. As we boarded, I can't imagine how we looked to passerbys as we stood with our mouths gaping open. This plane was gargantuan. It was built for a king. We put our bags away and sat our happy selves down into the seats of this spacious aerodynamic machine. We were presented with soothing music via headphone sets, pillows and blankets. Next, we received our first airplane meal. It wasn't half bad (either that our I was completely starved). I don't remember much else about the plane ride, because after my pasta and wine I fell right asleep. We woke up to breakfast and then proceeded to baggage claim. All of us received our bags, except for one girl. Her's is still stuck in Atlanta. Admist all the chaos that ensued as we narrowly made our flight, she had to be forced on the plane. Unfortunately, the people in charge of baggage assumed she was going on a connecting flight to Paris. At least they know where her belongings are located. They should be here tomorrow. Anyways, we then converted our U.S. cash to British pounds. $200 U.S. dollars converts to 110 pounds. 😞 This makes me sick. Afterwards, we made our way through customs. The security officers at the airport ain't nothin' compared to these bad boys. They thought we came to steal their jobs...they repeatedly questioned our purpose for this trip. Thank goodness for the immigration letter written by our director at GSU. It probably saved our butts. Once we all made it through customs, we searched for an exit to take the train to Sheffield. It took us FOREVER to get out of that airport. We finally were able to purchase a 21 pound one-way ticket. (RIDICULOUS!) Carrying all our luggage on this itty bitty train was a funny site, I am certain. The sights were gorgeous as we took a moment to calm ourselves and take everything in. I never realized how green a place could be. I knew we were in the right place when I saw houses resembling Harry Potter's seemingly inches from one another. The architecture is so unique and...well...English. I loved seeing all the livestock, like sheep and goats, too. Once we reached Sheffield, we took a taxi...where I was quickly reminded that their left is our right....to our destination. DA DA DA DUM! BOOM! Here we were at Sheffield, England West One City Apartments. It is a fairly modern looking building located directly in the middle of town center. We unpacked, got settled, showered our oh so smelly bodies, and hit the town! Our first stop was The Beehouse pub right across the street from our apartment. It was warm, dimly lit, but very clean. We sat at the booth just waiting and waiting for someone to take our order when we realized people just walked to the bar to order and they delivered your food to you. haha. Another comic sight to behold. I tried this beer that was "wimpy beer" as the man called it. I'll have to get the name of it later. The burger was delicious and I cleaned my plate, yet again. After dinner we took a trip to TESCO, a market close by, where we purchased some food and basic neccessities for the weekend. We';l probably go back to get more things tomorrow. All in all, it was a remarkable first experience in the UK. I am learning each and every moment I am here and I can't wait to share more with all of you as time goes by. First and foremost, teamwork is key- When loading and unloading 10 plus bags of luggage on and off a train, you need muscle and brainpower. Take initative and ask questions- If you don't know, someone around the area is sure to help you find out! We learned about tipping- don't. We learned that patience is key to any given situation. Finally, peanut butter is not allowed on a carry on, nomatter how sweet and innocent you may look.

I love you all. I am thankful for all of the loved ones in my life. You are the reason I am writing this blog, because God knows I would not have the motivation to do this on my own, anyhow. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think so far!

Word of the day: Cheers! (Thanks)

Warmest Wishes,

Katie

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Comments

[megan]

Katie, sounds like a grand adventure. Looking forward to more posts!