The Basics

Wow....I'm here! It's been a long day(s?), but well worth the trip. I also realized that I left out some key details from my first post, so I'll start with those and work up to now.

First of all, if anyone reading this is a student thinking of studying abroad and you have random questions you just want answered, don't hesitate to shoot me an email (click on my profile). I would love to offer any advice that I can, and right now with my own experience fresh on my mind is the best time to do that.

Second of all, to the same audience and others who may not know just what this "experience" is, I am working in London at an unpaid internship to gain experience in my chosen field: journalism. The program I applied with, EUSA, took my interests and abilities into account through interviews and essays and matched me with a position at a company overseas. I could have chosen to do anything--from music to fashion to finance to social work--they work with all majors and fields. Once accepted into the program I was guaranteed an internship placement, and once I accepted a placement I felt comfortable with the next step was actually making it happen, which is where we start today. The rest of this week will be filled with orientation, a final interview with my company and settling into the "flat" that will be my home for the next two months. After that, classes start (I'm taking International Business, but others are offered) and then its off to the races.

As for travel, I left San Antonio at 1:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, and arrived in London at shortly after 9:00 a.m. this morning. I am too tired to figure out exactly what that means in terms of time change, but ya'll are smart people--its a long trip. Now, I pride myself on my ability to sleep anywhere (years of practice on a band bus good for something!), but I don't think I slept more than an hour on that flight...and that's pushing it. 1) the man behind me kept kicking on my seat purposefully, which was awful; and 2) I was too nervous about getting through customs, having all my bags and paperwork when I landed, etc. Turns out everything went fine, all the people I ran into were helpful: knowledgeable cab drivers offered help loading and unloading tons of luggage, polite counter clerks offered discounts on train tickets, and to top it all off airplane seatmates offered a rousing game of Go-Fish. :) So the trip itself was long, but very good.

Now, I type from my bed, because my flat has no desk. Not that I expected it to, and not that I can complain. I'm living in one of the poshest parts of London, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea--next to a Ferrari dealership and home to the biggest crowd of well-dressed people I've ever seen. It's a little unsettling, knowing that eventually I'll have to at least try to not look like a tourist anymore.....ahhh.

My friends and I just came from the grocery store, where I bought yogurt, orange juice, tuna, Ritz crackers, and......(drumroll) Wheetabix!!! Alison is excited for me, I can tell. :) Also, honey to put on them in my cereal every morning...it's a pantry's start, at least! If you have not heard of this British breakfast phenomenon, you need to go get yourself a box of these wafer-like things and try them out. Pretty dang good, if I do say so myself. :)

So that's all for tonight, as the girls are getting together to make pasta for our first meal here in London--I expect it to be great, as all things on this trip have been so far and many more will be.