London at Last!--Day One

I was very tempted not to write this post because I am very tired after a very, very long day of traveling and orientation and other London activities. My plane ride was not pleasant at all. It was cramped, and I hardly slept a wink because there were too many distractions (talking, light, the general noise of the plane, the overly cool temperature of the cabin, etc). I was almost in tears of joy at the sight of the sunny English countryside as my plane descended into London Heathrow Airport. I got my first taste of the London train system through the Heathrow Express. I exited at Paddington Station, which I thought was very cute. I got on a taxi from Paddington to my flat on Manresa Road in Chelsea. Unfortunately, I did not listen to the advice of my program director. He expressly told us to take only pure black London cabs, not any cabs with designs on them. I took at red-and-blue cab, and the cabby didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned Manresa! Supposedly, all cab drivers take a test of all the roads in London before they are licensed. However, it all worked out (it was even a little cheaper than I expected), and I got to the housing exhausted but happy. I was right on time! After quickly depositing my things in my room, I walked with the rest of my group to a reception with snacks and drinks (I am legal here, you know, but jet lag stopped me from quaffing any wine with my peers). Afterwards, we walked back to our housing. I love seeing all the beautiful apartments here. The facades are very elegant. We had a housing orientation in the evening, and then a group of us girls went shopping at Waitrose, a nearby grocery store (we will not be frequenting said grocery store very often because the prices are a little too high for this Minnesota Yankee's tastes). Tomorrow is our walking tour of Chelsea and Kensington, another orientation, and a shopping trip for a cheap phone! I already feel very at home here, and I can't wait for the next 10 weeks.

Note: I am sorry for the lack of pictures for today. I forgot my camera when I was out-and-about, and I think what I need at this point is some rest. Bring on the jet lag!