Keep Calm and Find Your Group
'Ello London!!
I have arrived! Aigh aight aigh... Everything seems soooo surreal. I just need to stop for a moment and breathe in this humid air and realize I.am.in.London. Ahh okay focusing.
So yesterday after collecting my checked bag, which came out right when I walked up to the carousel, I made my way to customs. Turned out they only asked for about a quarter of the papers I had. Jamison was waiting for me right at my gate being one of the first faces I saw, leaving no time for any nervousness to set in.
Jamison, his wife Bethe, and their daughter Gwenyver were visiting our mutual friends Myles and GG Grotbo in Montana and just so happened to come in to On Broadway a night I was waitressing. I mentioned that I was getting in a day early and without blinking an eye, they invited me to stay with them at there house!
Before heading to the house, Jamison had to go back to his office for a bit. We made a meeting point in Trafalgo Square and I set off to do some pre-sight seeing. I figured I should go straight down the street to make Big Ben's acquaintance before I did anything else...seeing as he's kind of a BIG deal.. Baha don't worry I'll try to contain the puns so you keep reading my blogs ;P
The London Eye is very close to the famous clock tower so got to see that as well, although I didn't ride it (yet). I walked around Westminster Abbey for a bit and saw (the outside) of Saint Margret's Cathedral. I know we get to spend sometime at the Abbey later this week so I ventured to the square to meet Jamison. While I was waiting for him to arrive, I heard a voice shouting "Are you ready?!" I turned around to see three dancers warming up. A huge circle started to form around them so I scurried (that makes me sound awkward, I made my way) over to them. One of them turned on very fast paced hop-hop music and they all began to dance. Now don't think Father Marc's "white boy dance" (because actually one of them was black), these guys could DANCE. And not just dance. They were doin all these hand-spin, back-flip, moon-walk moves! These guys would love you, Jakee.
Jamison caught the end of it and after they finished, we made our way to his house.
It was a beautiful Victorian style home complete with a small rose garden in the back. He and his family were all very hospitable and between them and their black cat (WHO LOOKED JUST LIKE TOULOUSE!!!), I felt right at home. They even offered to let me play their guitar which just topped it all off (: I would have stayed up with them into the wee a hours (I mean late hours- I learned "wee" is more of a Scottish saying) but I was dreadfully exhausted. I was trying to make intelligent conversation with Bethe about the education system but I started speaking gibberish so I headed off to bed. I sent one quick email out to the family and my eyelids gave up.
This morning, Gwenyver didn't have school so her and I went to the bookstore so I could get a copy of The Canterbury Tales for all my new friends to sign ;) Don't worry Dr. Fregulia I still have my copy...somewhere...but I wasn't able to locate it before I left ):
We then walked to the train station where we said our goodbyes and parted ways.
I need to interrupt this blog for some breaking news: ELYSE NAVIGATED THE TUBE (that's the train) ALL BY HERSELF AND DIDNT EVEN GET LOST!!! I was very proud of myself- it's a tricky little maze under this city! Again pausing this blog: Mariah- a girl just walked by me who if I didn't know any better I could have sworn was Liz... Weird.
Okay anyway, made it to my hotel on time but somehow I missed my group checking in... Waited around the lobby for 2 hours but never saw them... Went to check in to my room and my room mates things were there so at least I know I have the right hotel! I think we are having our meeting at a different location and we just stay at the hotel. Sooo being a rebel I guess and skipping out on the first "welcome meeting". They'll eventually come back to the hotel so until then (:
I've decided God has a funny way of making me feel at home. First Alex, then the parkour guys, stinkin Toulouse, and now... A little boy just went running across the park... Named Isaac. I went and told his parents my little brothers name was Izaak too (: and PS Izaak- this Isaac's birthday is in September too ;)
Well, better venture back to the hotel so I can finally meet up with my group...
Cherrio for now! (Still working on that one...)
Peace,
E