This is me in Heathrow airport! (Am I touristy or what?!) 
Here is my group on our first day in Reading. We were SO tired. 
Oh hey Big Ben.
Me + Big Ben + Parliment.Monday, September 29, 2008
Picture time!
This is me in Heathrow airport! (Am I touristy or what?!) Here is my group on our first day in Reading. We were SO tired. Oh hey Big Ben. Me + Big Ben + Parliment.
Stupid Hearts and Wild Boar Pies.
Hello my loves! I am still not able to use my computer because today I broke my second adapter. It has been very frustrating trying to find one that fits with my laptop plug; I feel so much more removed from everyone when I can't even get onto my computer to use Skype or send quick emails! Luckily a fellow American has graciously let me use her computer for a few minutes.
So, let's start at the beginning:
-I left Seattle at 7am Friday morning. My night flight left Dulles (D.C.) in the evening, and I sat next to a terrific person named Mina. She was also studying abroad in England, for the entire year! (She is doing a graduate program here). I couldn't have picked better to sit by; we were able to talk about how we were feeling and what we were excited for and how sad it is to leave home, and so on. The only memorable thing about the flight (besides the fact that I didn't sleep AT ALL. boo) was the man from India who sat across the aisle from me. He was a little bit...watchful. For example, at the beginning of the flight I was journaling for a while, and six hours later he taps me on the shoulder and says, "Excuse me miss, but I just CANNOT believe how immaculate your handwriting is. You just sit there writing with your left hand, and the words are like ants on a perfectly straight line. I have never seen anything like it. How do you do it?!" I was a little freaked out, and also thinking, "Were you reading my journal?? Creeper..." But, I just politely thanked him and returned to my movie. Later, he said (with notable urgency) "Miss, you must stick to the Arts and Literature in life, otherwise you will fail. I watch you and I see that you have those gifts." Then he grabs my hand and starts to "read" my palm, and he says, "You have a very stupid heart. You give too much all the time and in life you will be left with nothing.' Thanks? Me and my new friend Mina were cracking up.
So, I get off the flight and navigate my way through Heathrow to find my group. We get into a bus in which the driver is sitting on the WRONG side of the vehicle and turns into the WRONG side of the road to drive to the school. As I looked out the window at the scenery, I found myself thinking, "Am I still in Seattle??" It is cloudy and gray with lots of green trees and shrubbery. Very similar.
Fast forward to school. There are only six of us in the ISA program, and some genius decided to split us up; only two of us in each dorm. Why we can't all be in the same one is beyond me. I amsure I will be thankful later, becaue this way I will have to meet more British students!
Since the other girl from the program in my dorm had arrived a day early, I was all alone moving in. I opened my room and felt so lonely-there was no P.A. to welcome me onto the floor, no decorations, not even a nametag!! I miss SPU. At that point I had only slept four hours since Thursday morning...that's about 36 hours of awake time. 24 straight hours. It was about 3:00am Seattle time and I felt overwhelmed. Also, there were so many dead flies and bees on my windowsill, and a few live bees buzzing around the room. I don't like dead anything, especially little dead bugs. It was almost too much. I found myself thinking, "What the heck am I doing here??? I don't know anyone and I am SO far from home and community!"
Just then I open my email to find some very sweet encouragement from people who replied to my email about this blog, and it was JUST what I needed. I decided to refocus. This is an ADVENTURE Paige! You will be fine!
So on Saturday we spent the day touring Reading, and we are all walking zombies. Everytime we stopped to look at a sight I would curl into a little ball and put my head on my knees. Then someone would nudge me to indicate that we were leaving and I was very mad at the world. All I wanted to do was sleep! At about 4:30pm London time (8:30am your time) I hit a wall and begin to giggle uncontrollably. My entire group was staring at me, waiting to hear the joke, but there wasn't one. I just couldn't stop laughing. The more I concentrated on not laughing, the more inconsolable I became. The entire way home I kept bursting out in fits of giggles, and I was so embarrassed, but I couldn't stop!! I even tried to imagine very sad images, such as dead puppies in the road, but to no avail. Oh dear.
We ended the night with dinner at "Sweeney and Todd's" where we ate hot pies. They were similar to pot pies, and you would not believe the selection of meats they have as filling! There was a "hare and cherry", a "lamb and mint", several duck options, and of course, wild boar. I chose the only one with vegetables, and it was pretty delicious. These English people-carnivores I tell ya!
This is getting long, so I will make the rest quick. After a loooooong night of sleep on Saturday night, I was a new person. We spent Sunday touring London and today touring Reading and attending orientations. I will put up pictures as soon as I get the electronics worked out. Thanks for your emails and support-each one I receive is such a treat! I miss you all!
So, let's start at the beginning:
-I left Seattle at 7am Friday morning. My night flight left Dulles (D.C.) in the evening, and I sat next to a terrific person named Mina. She was also studying abroad in England, for the entire year! (She is doing a graduate program here). I couldn't have picked better to sit by; we were able to talk about how we were feeling and what we were excited for and how sad it is to leave home, and so on. The only memorable thing about the flight (besides the fact that I didn't sleep AT ALL. boo) was the man from India who sat across the aisle from me. He was a little bit...watchful. For example, at the beginning of the flight I was journaling for a while, and six hours later he taps me on the shoulder and says, "Excuse me miss, but I just CANNOT believe how immaculate your handwriting is. You just sit there writing with your left hand, and the words are like ants on a perfectly straight line. I have never seen anything like it. How do you do it?!" I was a little freaked out, and also thinking, "Were you reading my journal?? Creeper..." But, I just politely thanked him and returned to my movie. Later, he said (with notable urgency) "Miss, you must stick to the Arts and Literature in life, otherwise you will fail. I watch you and I see that you have those gifts." Then he grabs my hand and starts to "read" my palm, and he says, "You have a very stupid heart. You give too much all the time and in life you will be left with nothing.' Thanks? Me and my new friend Mina were cracking up.
So, I get off the flight and navigate my way through Heathrow to find my group. We get into a bus in which the driver is sitting on the WRONG side of the vehicle and turns into the WRONG side of the road to drive to the school. As I looked out the window at the scenery, I found myself thinking, "Am I still in Seattle??" It is cloudy and gray with lots of green trees and shrubbery. Very similar.
Fast forward to school. There are only six of us in the ISA program, and some genius decided to split us up; only two of us in each dorm. Why we can't all be in the same one is beyond me. I amsure I will be thankful later, becaue this way I will have to meet more British students!
Since the other girl from the program in my dorm had arrived a day early, I was all alone moving in. I opened my room and felt so lonely-there was no P.A. to welcome me onto the floor, no decorations, not even a nametag!! I miss SPU. At that point I had only slept four hours since Thursday morning...that's about 36 hours of awake time. 24 straight hours. It was about 3:00am Seattle time and I felt overwhelmed. Also, there were so many dead flies and bees on my windowsill, and a few live bees buzzing around the room. I don't like dead anything, especially little dead bugs. It was almost too much. I found myself thinking, "What the heck am I doing here??? I don't know anyone and I am SO far from home and community!"
Just then I open my email to find some very sweet encouragement from people who replied to my email about this blog, and it was JUST what I needed. I decided to refocus. This is an ADVENTURE Paige! You will be fine!
So on Saturday we spent the day touring Reading, and we are all walking zombies. Everytime we stopped to look at a sight I would curl into a little ball and put my head on my knees. Then someone would nudge me to indicate that we were leaving and I was very mad at the world. All I wanted to do was sleep! At about 4:30pm London time (8:30am your time) I hit a wall and begin to giggle uncontrollably. My entire group was staring at me, waiting to hear the joke, but there wasn't one. I just couldn't stop laughing. The more I concentrated on not laughing, the more inconsolable I became. The entire way home I kept bursting out in fits of giggles, and I was so embarrassed, but I couldn't stop!! I even tried to imagine very sad images, such as dead puppies in the road, but to no avail. Oh dear.
We ended the night with dinner at "Sweeney and Todd's" where we ate hot pies. They were similar to pot pies, and you would not believe the selection of meats they have as filling! There was a "hare and cherry", a "lamb and mint", several duck options, and of course, wild boar. I chose the only one with vegetables, and it was pretty delicious. These English people-carnivores I tell ya!
This is getting long, so I will make the rest quick. After a loooooong night of sleep on Saturday night, I was a new person. We spent Sunday touring London and today touring Reading and attending orientations. I will put up pictures as soon as I get the electronics worked out. Thanks for your emails and support-each one I receive is such a treat! I miss you all!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
I made it!
I have arrived! I broke my adapter/converter, so I have no access to internet or any electronics right now. (I am borrowing my neighbor's computer for two minutes...) I am going to town tomorrow, so hopefully I can write more then. Just wanted to let you all know that I am alive and well and miss you terribly!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
So I guess that's it...
So here I am, the night before the BIG ADVENTURE that I have been planning for and talking about for months. I fit all of my things into one semi-large duffel bag and one backpack, I've put together a peanut butter and apricot rasberry jelly sandwhich*, and I've turned in all of my library books. I've packed up and moved out of my room, I've emptied my pantry shelf, and I've said goodbye to everyone. I think. So I guess that's it. London, (or actually, Reading...) here I come!! I have a blank gray nothingness in my mind when I think about what awaits me; I have NO IDEA what to expect, but I feel ready. I miss you already and will post again when I get to England!! :)
*apricot rasberry jelly is THE best thing to ever happen to me. It can be found at the Queen Anne Farmer's market, which occurs on 2nd ave at a middle school every Thursday from 3pm-7pm. Seriously, I will never be the same.
*apricot rasberry jelly is THE best thing to ever happen to me. It can be found at the Queen Anne Farmer's market, which occurs on 2nd ave at a middle school every Thursday from 3pm-7pm. Seriously, I will never be the same.
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