First Day in London

Thursday January 24th. [this was written dwn in a notebook earlier and not directly typed right now]

i got through the airport, that was easy, goodbye parents. tingley nervousness, but not too bad. i just told myself that i had to step up. and so i did. sorry to be writing in here- its the only notebook in my big silver purse currently. my watch fell out of the bucket in the metal scanner . that was bothersome. - but i asked someone to retreve it for me, at th gate i read Diasy Fay and the Miracle Man it was easy to get into and good. i must say that i quite like it so far. there were lots of people speaking french around me [and british...obviousl]. on the plane i was very tierd and dozed off and missed take off [same exact thing with the landing. hah] i was so happy beause they supplied a mini-toothbrush and i had been concerned about that. they also supplied socks i had brought an extra pair anyways], a pink pillow, and a blanket. i drooled a lot and slept. the food was yummy. pasta and salad with vinegar anf a [not-so-yummy] roll. dessert. and most importantly: a mini CRUNCHY! yes! which i am saving so that i can savor it and enjoy it proprely. thats my favorite type of chocolate bar in the whole wide world. right now [not actually as i am typing this.... but as i was originally writing] i am on the underground. and we just went above ground. but only for one minute. weird. anyways sleeping on the plane was uncomfortale, i had restless dreams and was most likely talking in my sleep. one of my dreams i took these pills right before getting off of the airplane and i was so messed up that i couldnt get off of it ....but you got off it like a ski lift. i did not lke it. or the dream. or the fact that when i woke up i was still on the airplane. (i like the way this train smells, btw)(a hint of cigarette but also slight rassberry and just a clean bright fresh shower smell) (we are above ground again and its so lush and beautiful and all the buildings and houses i can see out the window are all brick and perfectly lovely.)(im quite over-heated though in my sweater and big coat.) OK: so i got off the plane. it was all much easier than expeted, blah blah blah blah- probably beause i prayedso much about it since i was so nervous. On the escalator i rainbow-taped my fingers on the handrail and the man directly behnd me was doing it too exactly the same as me. it was cool. i totally went to the wrong place. i went to “trains” instead of “underground” oooppps. anyways my stuff is really heavy and difficult to manage but still manageable. barely, im actually really enjoying being utterly alone. and that really surprises me. i keep surprising myself. ugh i keep wanting to take photos but my camera is burried. there are lots of girls wearing boots similar to my brown ones that i am wearing right now and even ones similar to my short black ones that both beth and mary kate dont like, i feel very relaxed and i think this is up to where i am now. [but not actually NOW now...as im typing, no] (oh yeah i forgot to say thhat i brushed my teeth in the bathroom) i want to live here. the trains are white with blue bottoms an red doors and are so brght and cheery and beautiful. they look great against the green and all the gray of the sky. i just remembered, i only brought 5 hair-ties for all 5 months and i have already lost one! on the plane. hah whtevers though- not important. i love all the variations of accents and the people are so lovely to look at. [they all look much different from pople in america and i think they are so beautiful. [Someone] totally doesnt agree or see them differently or likes looking at them. shes all “theyre just people””the boys arent attractive at all- have you looked at their teeth?” i dont know what she is seeing... maybe her eyes are broken or foggy or something because i love all of these people everywhere i look. they are all exquisite.] i think its all the old brick that really gets me though.... its perfectly crumbly and clouded but not dull or faded. ohmygosh ew i just saw my first pigeon GROSS and it got me nervous an flew along parallel with the train.

well thats the end of what i wrote on the train. now i m typing this all for realz as i go.....

-off metro, walk to hotel, hotel looks, key, door problem, room.
[the key was on the end of a nearly foot-long peiece of metal. and was a real key! also it was scary because the lock slid to the side and made it so that the door couldnt shut and that was not safe at all but i relized it and fixed it really quickly. the room was tiny but i liked it because no murderers could hide anywhere]

-just missed girls, british museum,
[two girls from my study abroad group stoped by the hotel looking for me and left me a note so that was really kind of them. i met up with them in the british museum]

-mummies, statues, africa, jewlery. just the architecture, hippo, sandals, hand insense burner
[thats just some stuff i saw, i think i took pictures of most of it...]

-sore: feet, shoulder, eyes. tired.cant sleep because want to get on right timing ie: no jetlag

-alone in hotel. small. waiting to go eat. will ask desk.

-beth email.

-anoying to type. mousey thing difficult when not plugged in.

-scared to go out in city in dark. got dark at 4:30!

-drink on plane
[they offered me a drink on the plane and it was wierd because that doesnt happen to me, i thought mayeb i just looked old or something with my new haircut but then i remembered that their law was just different. hah]

-asked cute boy at desk where to go to dinner. had been left alone agan b.c those girls left. italian place

-sat alone but wasnt akward. empowering. took a long time, relaxed and enjoyed being 'out'

-picked vegetarian pizaa [peppers. tomato. artichoke.]

-confused about tiping.

-asked man sitting beside me and he said 'i am a foreigner like yourself. i actualy do not know. he thought i was brisith just not from there because he said i have an accent! lovely. he was from france. i told him i was going to la vesinet and he recognized the name. he went to berkley for grad shool i think he said. a very nice older man. we ended up asking the woman on the other side of him what to tip. i think she was american.

-i just remembered that im legally allowed to drink so thats why they all keep asking me haha it all makes sense

-when i left they said 'chao bella' cuuuuute.

-almmost got run over by a speeding vn that was going ridiulously fast.

-saved ½ pizza but theres no fridge but i think itll be okay. artichokes were kind of sour tasteing and the heart was at the center of the pizza

-been feeling very unreal. not real..... so i know that i think allllll the time a lot in my head constantly and irrationally and abouteverythin and ridiculous stuff. but since ive been mostly alone and in my head this entire while i have realized that i hear people and their voices in my head and i picture them and can clearly see and feel their emotions and wack-o 'madeup?' [potentially] convos. and i have ot conseiously not think about them an concentrate on them beause thats wierd. i think also that when i am alone like this i thik more and more and more and more and then it gets kind of hard to talk and then when i finally do talk or s

-lighting in hotel rom. perfect for plucking eyebrows

-rough towels
[im pretty sure they hurt my face and made red splotches. ugh]

-dad called
[<3]