Settling in...

[warning - novella in progress]


Well... It's been a whirlwind couple of days. I went to the first day of classes on Monday. A bit of a hectic hike to the train station, riding the above ground train to London, transferring to the underground tube into town, then hauling my behind to the school. Classes were, just as back home on the first day: varying stages of boredom, tediousness, repetition and so forth. I should have taken my migraine meds before I even walked out the front door. I'd managed to toss my cookies twice that day from the pounding migraine that kicked in approximately 2 hours into my school day. Fun stuff I tell ya! That being said, I called off a dinner date with my classmate, managed to get lost (AGAIN) trying to find the right tube station, and eventually made my way into town to meet up with Richard [for some of you, Boi]. Oh did I mention the mini-meltdown on the tube??? I sat there en route to Canada Water station, which was where we were meeting, and started to cry. Not sobbing, mind you, and I'm sure all these Londoners on the tube are looking at me, as I sit there silently with tears just leaking out, and thinking: crazy American. But all of a sudden, I was missing home, I was missing my baby, I was out of my element, too old to be doing this "study-abroad" stuff... I needed to go home, pack my things and go back to real life. Yeah, that's what I needed to do! I also needed to eat apparently, because I realized I was becoming waaaaay too emotional after just one day of class.

That being said, Richard drug me out to some pub, ask me the fun details about that some other time, where we ordered what everybody orders when they go to the UK... hamburgers? el oh el. But I have to tell you, that was one of the best hamburgers I've ever had. Maybe cuz we're closer to Hamburg than back in Florida (Dad, I know you'll appreciate that crap humor). We sat and talked, drank a couple pear ciders, which I must say, certainly contend with the apple ciders I've had, and basically I was pleasantly buzzed enough to begin to unwind. Let me add in this disclaimer and tell you, we had a couple which is indicative of TWO. Lest you all think that the only way I enjoyed myself was to go about the trip in a consistently inebriated state - although that idea also has merits. We went back to Richard's boat.. yeah, lol, a boat! Well, a Dutch-barge.. but a boat nonetheless... where we stayed up way later than I should have and then I crashed. 

"the only way I enjoyed myself was to go about the trip in a consistently inebriated state"

So now that you have some back story... the next day I rode along with Richard to Worthing, where he had a call... but then he didn't. Again, el oh el. But, when in Rome, we must do as the Romans did... so we went to the beach. Only --- this beach had no sand! EGADS! NO SAND I TELL YA! This was quite the pebble beach. I took pics of course, as it was still pretty. Reminded me very much of Atlantic City, or to be more precise, walking along the boardwalk in Brigantine. After a bit of watching someone, cough.. Richard, try and throw his arm out skipping stones and not hitting a coffee cup [reiterates the good ol' eh oh el]... we decided to drive on to Brighton. Holy-Steel-Pier-visits-the-UK-Robin! There was even a dilapidated carcass of the original pier [that burned down] left out in the water, and the newly rebuilt one, complete with carnival games and roller coasters just a stones' throw away. Anywho, back to Guildford we headed, where I gathered some stuff and figured out how to make life work better.We naturally, partook in a few cocktails, and talked for quite some time with Paul & Juliet. This is where I don't mention our nefarious evil plannings. Okay, I mentioned them, but I won't divulge! 

I'm now staying at Richard's boat for the days I go to school. The stress is so much more non-existent... and I'll be staying in Guildford when I'm not wandering to parts unknown. It's a good mix, as I think it allows me to not worry about getting to school, and gives some personal down time for both Richard and for Paul & Juliet as well... and a change of scenery for me. I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, jet lag has been HELL, with a clear mind. As I wandered to what I will now deem the bath house to freshen up and what not, I saw the sun rising over the Thames, with the city buildings of London as the backdrop. The hustle and bustle of the cars just starting to pick up in sound, but otherwise, I felt a peace I hadn't felt since coming here. Trying to acclimate myself to the city had been a struggle, and knowing that I can enjoy the city while I have classes, but go back to the quiet town of Guildford on my off days, is a blessing. There is a lot of literary inspiration in the Guildford region, and Paul & Juliet are awesome people to be staying with. Both have a wealth of knowledge about the area, Juliet for having lived in this region for some time, and Paul, for having learned so much since moving there from Canadia (hahaha!). I miss Laurel and the rest of the family very much, but I know that I'm making the best of this, and I've seen some interesting stuff thus far, and met some awesome people as well. Not sure what this weekend holds, so til then...