The days leading up to my departure were stressful and a
bit scary. As I packed my bags it was finally hitting me that the things I took
would be my only source of familiarity for the next several months. I was also
really worried that I would over pack or have problems with my luggage at the
airport – I had several flights from different airports and none of the
restrictions were the same. Seeing my belongings stuffed into a coat closet and
leaving my room bare was a strange feeling. I had been so comfortable there,
but it became a comfort that I needed to break away from. I wasn’t happy in
Austin and needed a change. I didn’t like the routines I was settling into, the
loner I was becoming, putting work before friends and fun all the time. I was
leaving that life behind and I didn’t mind.
My dad and brother arrived in Austin around 3am to help
me load the few things I was taking back home to Chappell Hill. It was raining
pretty hard, which made the city look beautiful, and for a moment I started to
feel like I might miss Austin. This would be the longest I had been away from
the city in two years, but my anxiousness to forget and start anew overpowered
this sudden new found fondness. I was really happy to see my dad and especially
my brother Chad since his tagging along was a complete surprise!
My short time back home in the country was spent doing
last minute preparations: getting my meningitis vaccine, shopping for travel
essentials, etc. One day I spent helping my little sister Shara construct a
dress entirely from magazines, tissue paper and yarn for a theatre homework
assignment. That was nice because I often feel like I’m not a very good big
sister, and that’s something I’m hoping to change. Wednesday morning (Jan. 11th)
we woke up early and left for Houston around 10am. With a few wrong turns and
stops we finally reached IAH and the waiting began. When it was time to board
the plane, I handed my cell phone to my mom – oddly I was so excited to not
have one anymore. The security guard I approached at the baggage check line saw
that I was struggling to make my carry-on items meet airline restrictions so
she kindly helped me pack and stash them in a way so that they would. Once past
security, I turned back to wave at my family one last time. Emotion overwhelmed
me. I felt bad because my last hours with them I let nervousness and stress get
to me so I probably hadn’t been the nicest. I also wished that they could get
away from the stress of work for a while and see the world like I was about to.
The plane departed promptly at 3:41pm and much to my
liking I had an entire row of three seats to myself. Most of the time I spent
reading Vogue or sleeping but periodically I would gaze out the window at the
vanishing land below me. Flying over North Carolina I watched a lightning storm
in the clouds. We arrived at Heathrow in London at 7am and once I finally made
it past customs, I had the entire day to explore the city I had always dreamt
of seeing. One of my first conversations was with a young English customer
service worker in the baggage claim area. I gave him my boarding pass so that
he would help me find my luggage. When he saw that I was from Houston, Texas he
said, “Oh, you’re from Houston? We call that H-town. You ever heard of Swisher
House?” This of course made me crack up, and he continued through his thick English
accent to name off his favorite Houston rappers like Paul Wall (I chimed in
with Chamillionaire). And so began my observation of how friendly English people
are. My entire stay in London I never encountered a rude person or anyone who
judged me because I was American or Texan. Maybe it’s because the weather was
so nice causing everyone to be friendlier? (I heard it usually rains constantly
and is miserable in January) However, I don’t think that was the case. Perhaps
they knew I had only a short time in the city they loved and wanted to make
sure it was an enjoyable one?
After retrieving my bags I met up with a few other girls
from my AIFS program, including Denise, a fellow UT Communications student. We
were all driven by an AIFS representative to our hotel in Kensington, one of
the boroughs of London. Speaking of boroughs, the drive through London reminded
me so much of my first drive to New York City. Both seem to have much in common
from the mix of old and new architecture, the subway and tube system and the
stylish city inhabitants – especially the guys. Oh my. The London men get my
vote for most stylish – hands down. I’ve never seen such a well dressed bunch
and it all looked so effortless, too.
We dropped our luggage off at Copthorne Tara Hotel before
Denise and I hit the streets of Kensington to explore. I was a bit overwhelmed
at first; I didn’t know the first thing about London. We decided to buy a tube
pass and travel further into the city, stopping first in the financial
district. (Again, so much reminded me of New York except I liked London much
more.) We stopped at Pizza Express for what we thought would be a quick lunch.
The food was delicious and it was nice to wind down for a bit and plan out the
rest of the day. I noticed our waiter, Toby, hadn’t been by our table in a
while and I began to think he was ignoring us. I wondered why it was taking so
long to get the bill. Doesn’t he want us to leave so he can have room for more
customers? I think he sensed my confusion because he stopped by to say that he
knows in America we’re used to getting the bill and leaving fast, but in Europe
it’s different. “We like to have people take their time, sit and enjoy
themselves,” he said. This comment was striking because it was true; I realized
how much I and others back home tend to speed through life. Toby also commented
that Denise looked a bit “dropsy” – apparently that’s the tired, droopy-eyed
look you get after eating a lot – and he brought us both cappuccinos on the
house.
The rest of the evening was spent walking around London
according to Toby’s suggestions of must-see-places like the Tate Modern Museum,
and taking ridiculous amounts of photos. London is a photographers dream -
everything is photo worthy! Walking along the River Thames I couldn’t get over
how amazing it was to be in a city so older with so much more history than the
U.S. With a quick stop back at the hotel to freshen up, Denise and I set out
for dinner in the Soho area. We were looking for the perfect British pub: good
drinks, loud music, tons of locals – something to rid us of that tourist
feeling and show us what true London night life was like. We found that at O’Neill’s.
It was warm, dark, and cozy with several floors of bars and a dining area where
we ate a late dinner. I had fish and chips – it just seemed like the perfect
pub food and I couldn’t leave London without having it at least once!
Afterwards we took our drinks and headed downstairs to find a room packed with
local college kids dancing to some of my favorite songs being played by a British
cover band. When the band played “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis, I knew I
was in pub heaven and my night had been made. It would have been nice if one of
the many brits I caught eyes with would have danced with me, but their level of
courage didn’t seem much different than any American guy I’ve met at a club or
party. I did, however, have a short conversation with a nice Irish guy who found
it odd that I was girl drinking a Guiness.
The next morning we woke up super early to have an English
breakfast at the hotel before taking a three hour bus tour around London. We
made a few stops on the tour at places like Buckingham Palace and Westminster
Abbey. It was surreal finally seeing these places in person and experiencing
their beauty. The tour dropped us off at Covent Garden where we had lunch at a
pub (I am now obsessed with pubs) before making the two hour trek back to
Kensington. Along the way we (Denise and I were joined by another friend,
Kayla) stopped at the National Gallery and saw Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper”
along with several portraits of the royal families. Walking through Hyde Park
at dusk was beautiful; I almost forgot I was in the middle of the city. I wish
I could be in London to see its transformation for the Olympics this summer.
Though exhausted from trying to see as much of London as
possible, we didn’t want to spend our last night resting. We met up with Denise’s
friend at the London University of the Arts, where he and a few other friends
attend school. We had a few drinks (their
school study lounge has a full bar!) before hitting a pub for food and ending
the night with dancing at The Verve nightclub. One of the friends knew the
bouncer so we all got in for free, and once inside, I couldn’t contain my
excitement. We were packed like sardines and there wasn’t a soul not dancing
their life away. It was what I imagined a perfect club would be like – London once
again turned my expectations into reality.
Two days is a short time to explore a city, but I’m
pleased with my time spent in London. I absolutely fell in love with the city
just as I expected to and I can’t wait to visit again. Every step I took,
every person I met, seemed to fall perfectly in place and make for a fantastic
first impression of Europe!
Here are more pictures from my time in London!
Here are more pictures from my time in London!
No comments:
Post a Comment