Arrived

I usually don’t get to the airport early for flights out of San Diego. I like to live dangerously and it seems to me that sitting around in an airport terminal for 2 hours before your plane arrives is a bit of a waste of my time. But seeing as this was my first international flight, I decided to get to the airport a couple hours early just in case something went wrong…Well, something did go wrong, horribly wrong. No, I didn’t crash and die. No, I didn’t miss my connecting flight (although I was awfully close). But I did sit in the San Diego airport for 6 hours waiting for the clown shoes air traffic controllers in O’Hare to get their act together.

For six hours, I sat across from this delightful lad, who looked like the PC gamer in South Park’s recent World of Warcraft episode:


When my plane finally took off, I knew my chances of catching my connecting flight in O’Hare were slim to none. But thankfully my plane landed in Chicago at 9:30 p.m. which left me 15 minutes to catch my connecting flight in a far away terminal. I carried a backpack and a 35 pound carry-on as I ran about a mile. Huffing and puffing, I arrived at the gate just in time and boarded the plane. It was a 777 which I have always wanted to fly on, and it was everything I imagined and more.

Here were some of my first looks at the European continent:



Upon first arriving in the UK, I felt awfully comfortable. It didn’t feel as if I had traveled thousands of miles to a foreign land. I got some UK cash and with my roommate proceeded to board a bus for Oxford. The drive was shorter than expected, but through some very beautiful country side.

When we arrived in Oxford, we shyly got off the bus, grabbed our luggage and proceeded to stand in a square trying to figure out where we were. After several minutes of aimless wondering, we discovered a map of the city and found our destination. I was up for the hike, but Alex was not, so we got a cab and told the driver “Wycliffe Hall please.”

I’ve never taken a cab before, but my first time was a miserable experience. I wouldn’t classify myself as cheap, but I don’t like to spend money on things I don’t think are necessary. All I could focus on the entire cab ride was the cab fare which increased with the time we spent in the cab and the distance we drove. I guess I had always expected them to charge on distance not time, and at the end of the ride we begrudgingly gave up a couple pounds for the cost of the cab.

We found our residence fairly easily (pictures will be coming soon) but were disappointed to discover that our two other roommates had raided every good thing in the room, including desks, dressers, drawers, and closet space. We made a few power plays and were able to swing a few deals which included rearranging our living space to be a bit more efficient (more pictures coming soon), and now have become quite settled.

Our first night here didn’t entail much activity. Alex and I visited The Eagle and Child, which is a pub only a few blocks away, better known for often serving the likes of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. After a couple pints, we strolled back to the room and our now hitting the sack after a long two days of travel.

My first day in another country has left me missing my homeland. I’m sure I will love it here and many exciting adventures are in store for me, but there is nothing like the old US of A. Being away makes me appreciate my beloved country that much more. I miss family and friends already, and rest assured the blog posts to come will be much more exciting than this one.

Cheers, mate!