Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Goodbye Wisconsin, Hello 48 hour travel time.

Somewhere in my procrastinated scramble to bring this all together, I thought it would be a good idea to just stay up drinking with my friends, seeing as I would have to leave for the airport at 5:30am anyways, and I had yet to even pack. That was a horrible plan. Not only did I end up with 4 bags I was assuming I would just check onto the plane (would have cost me more than $200 probably...idiot), but I also felt like a sort of horrible death.

Kayce and Andy's engagement party was that sunday, so once I'd convinced my post-going away party hangover to get in gear, my thought process was already in motion. So drinking it was. Arriving home at a ripe 1am, and after getting all packed and ready to go (sort of), I heartbreakingly said goodbye to the most supportive and loving boyfriend to have ever lived, hugged my adorably stupid cats, and got in my mother's car. Still drunk and not loving it.

After being yelled at for my Grade F packing job, my mom made me empty all of my things out and condense them into only 2 suitcases. I suppose it would look slightly pretentious getting off the plane with 4 bags and 2 carry-ons. What kind of peon au pair is so high maintenance? Not to mention the European compact car I was going to have to shove all that into? Good thinkin, Ma. If she didn't own an SUV that I could crawl around the back of, unfolding and refolding items of clothing, I probably would've just threw a bag or 2 out the window, cursing at the sun. I hate packing!!

I slept for about 4 hours on the 8 hour plane trip. The first couple hours were rough, ohhhmahgod. At one point, I did have to ask the man next to me for his extra bottle of water, due to the fact that I thought I might throw up at any given time. He begrudgingly obliged my request, probably after seeing my pale, ghastly, used-to-be drunk face. I'm sure the overhaul of nerves didn't help my already weak stomach either. By the way, who's great idea was Vanilla Doctor McGillicuddy's? Remind me to open-palmed smack them in the face.

I landed in London at 10:45pm, 5:45 central time, where my layover was to be overnight until 7am the next day. My thoughts were that I would just rome around, maybe smoke a "fag" and mingle with the smart talking folk. Maybe pick up a baguette and some lukewarm mineral water. You know, fit in. Uh, no. The HUGE international airport was CLOSED! No shops open, I had to walk pushing a dolley with a bad wheel and 2 overpacked suitcases on it all over the place looking for a BUS to take me to a whole different terminal. For some reason these people could take one good look at my forehead as it screamed AMERICAN, so I tried to hide my accent as much as possible when asking for help...which is pretty hard when it is the way that you TALK. Luckily, I ran into an english angel who was my age, traveling back from Iowa, USA to her hometown near Manchester in Britain. Small world after all, huh? So we latched on to eachother until about 5 am when she had to jump on her flight. Thank God for her or the boredom would've surely killed me. So, yes, I was finally able to baguette with the best of 'em.

Overall, the trip went very smooth. The family's great, my room and set-up is ideal, and the countryside is damn gorgeous. I'm going to start jogging soon since this is a great place to do it, once I learn where the hell I'm going. For sake of not making this first post any longer than necessary, I'll end now.

bis das naechste Mal. That means, "til next time." Yes, I totally just googled that. I'm not that good...yet.

4 comments:

  1. Lady sorry i missed your fare well but excited to follow your new journey! Hearts and farts all around!

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  2. I'm loving the blog! Glad you made it safe and your comfortable with the living space :)

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  3. That's really cool!!! Good luck on your voyage.

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  4. Just want to say that Im proud of you for the decisions you have made for yourself and for your future! The experiences that you will have will all be worth it! Always thinking about you!
    elephants and pigs! ;)

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