And so it begins...

A carousel near one of the parks we passed.
Some of us in Chinatown- we ate here the next night. Some were adventurous, going for squid, or pig organs, or duck... I went with lemon chicken. And it was phenomenal! Good call on my part, I think.
Part of my class with the elephants in Trafalgar Square. These elephants are all over London, and they are adorable! We also climbed on top of the lions here and took a group shot- that was an adventure! They are rather large and very slippery, but it was worth the risk because it was a ton of fun!

Well hello from London! Sorry it’s been awhile, but we have been busy, and accessing internet is a little tricky. I am having a blast here. Seriously, I absolutely adore London. It seems like every single day we leave the hotel, I fall in love with the city a little bit more. We’ve been all over the city: Picadilly Circus, the London Eye, Parliament, Chinatown, Trafalgar Square, the British Museum, Seven Dials, the Salvation Army International Headquarters, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden, Neal’s Yard, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theatre- I could list the places all day long, and still forget some. We’ve been walking quite a bit, but really, I feel like that’s the best way to see the city. The architecture here is phenomenal. I adore details, and it seems like this whole city is built upon intricate little details. These buildings are architectural wonders on a grand scale, really, but they are equally as impressive- if not more so- up close. On another note, it is certainly chilly here! I was told that I would freeze here, and that’s entirely accurate. All in all though, I’ve been doing quite fine. Jet lag wasn’t an issue at all either. Maybe I just got lucky with the timing of the flights, but it simply wasn’t a problem for me. The excitement of being in a new place probably helped too.

Most of all though, I absolutely love being surrounded by all of this history. Every time I turn a corner, I stumble upon something else significant. I have walked in the footsteps of royalty, I have been to Monty Python’s house, I have stood within inches of the Rosetta Stone, I have seen one of Shakespeare’s plays in his own theatre, I have touched sarcophagi. It is positively mind-boggling, and really, it gets a bit overwhelming at times.

For all those people who have criticized British food, I have just three words for you: you are crazy. It is delicious! Tonight, we ate at a Canadian pub and the Tower of London. Yesterday, dinner was in Chinatown and lunch was at the British Museum. I’ve been eating quite well, and it’s been perfectly lovely. And yes, the tea is delightful.

What could possible make this trip even better? Only the fact that I’m jaunting through this incredible city with some absolutely awesome people! Everyone in my class is fabulous, and it’s fun to explore new places with friends. We all get along really well, and it’s been fantastic.

There have been some challenges in being in a foreign country: figuring out how to operate the lightswitches, that Romanian waitress the first night who terrified us all, sorting out the money, taking the Underground for the first time, etc. In the end, though, everything’s worked out just fine. We’ve had a good laugh and chalked it up to experience.

I do have pictures for you guys! Not all of them, because the connection isn’t great, and besides I have way too many. But you already know this. They will make their way to Facebook eventually, just not now ): You'll love them though- I can't wait to share more!

With some friends at the Tower of London- talk about some incredible history! I'm still marveling at all of it.
The London Eye- the view was incredible!
Parliament- this building is so incredible. It's beautiful from a distance- and you should see it up close!
I had the great fortune to wake up at four am just as we were flying over Iceland and passing the volcano. I also woke up at 2:30 am- just in time to watch the sunrise. All in all, though, I slept well on the flight!