Day 1: Getting to Queen Mary

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Day 1: Getting to Queen Mary

I arrived in London early Saturday morning. My flight arrived in Heathrow airport, Terminal 5 but I had to figure out how to navigate my way to Terminal 3 to meet the Study Abroad Officers for Queen Mary University in order to take a coach bus to the University. I knew this was going to be difficult considering I wasn’t exactly traveling light. I had one large sized suitcase, one medium sized suitcase, and a smaller carry on sized suitcase. I also carried on a backpack. I weighed the large and medium sized suitcases before I left. They weighed about 52lbs each. My small suitcase probably weighed another twenty and the backpack maybe another five pounds. In other words, my luggage weighed a lot more than I do. I tried to pack lighter, I swear but it was sort of impossible. Now before I get into this story I should also warn you that I have a messed up back to begin with. Well I certainly paid the price during the trip from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 for my over packing.

At the baggage claim site I easily lifted my entire luggage onto a cart. It was heavy but not unbearable. I was relieved and began following the signs to the Heathrow Express train that would take me from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3. I found the train with no problem but then realized that in order to get on the train I would have to leave the cart behind because there were metal rods preventing you from bringing the cart onto the train. Now, I started to panic. I removed my luggage from the cart and one by one dragged each piece through the metal rods. That took a full 10 minutes. I then had to figure out a system to pull the three overweight wheeled suitcases onto the train. Again, this was not easy and I was frankly sweating like a man by the time I managed to get on board. I can’t even tell you how many people watched me struggle but offered no help.

To my dismay, the train ride was barely 2 minutes. I hadn’t even caught my breath yet and I had to maneuver my way off the train. A woman was reading the newspaper by the door and would not move out of my way even though I was obviously struggling and had no way to get by her. When I accidently bumped into her paper she got annoyed and finally moved. My luggage would still not budge off the train. I was near tears as I finally pulled each piece off the train. Once I was off the train a 20-something year old Scottish couple took pity on me and helped me by pulling one of my pieces of luggage about three-quarters of the rest of the way to Terminal 3. The last quarter of course was an uphill ramp because well, that’s my luck.

I finally found the representatives from Queen Mary and a group of other study abroad students and about forty-five minutes later we were on a bus to Queen Mary. I spoke with a couple of people along the way.

Once I got to Queen Mary, I was given a key to my dorm room and a British student helped me carry my bags. Of course, I got the dorm without an elevator and that meant pulling two 50lbs bags up three flights of stairs! Once I got up the stairs and the Brit left, I cried for twenty minutes. I was jet-lagged, in pain (I’m still literally COVERED in bruises) and I felt extremely alone in this foreign country where I know absolutely no one. My dorm room was also dirty and that was the icing on the cake for me. Within ten minutes, I left my dorm in search of a supermarket to buy cleaning supplies. I know, I’m aware, I am completely psychotic. I found the supermarket easily and scrubbed down every inch of my room which took about 2 hours. I took a shower and passed out feeling much better.

I met one of my flat mates later that night and we had dinner together along with the other study abroad students. Another girl sat down at our table. The three of us have been sticking together ever since. I’ll get more into the friends I’ve made so far in my next post which I promise will be a lot more upbeat and positive than this one was!

I am very lucky to have this experience to be spending the semester in London. However, at the same time it is definitely going to be challenging. I think I’m up for it though, even with the bruised arms and closet sized bathroom! 

Quack Quack Getting Comfortable in His New Home

My bathroom is the size of a closet but at least I don't have to share!

 

I’m in London!

I just arrived in London a few hours ago. I’m in one piece besides many bruises on my arms.

Note to self: Never attempt to travel to a foreign country alone with three suitcases and a backpack weighing a lot more than my own weight ever again.

Anyone know if it’s possible to buy something like Lysol spray in the UK? (aka a disinfectant that can be used to spray any surface.) All I found in the supermarket was a spray that you could only use on hard surfaces and have to wipe away. I’m using it for now but I’m sort of a germ freak and this isn’t going to cut it for 6 months.

I’ll give a full update soon with pictures of my dorm room and how I’m adjusting. Now it’s time for a nap though. I’m so jet-lagged!

-J

 

Pre-move Jitters: One month and 10 days until I leave for London

I booked my flight to London yesterday. I seriously cannot believe I’m leaving in just a little over a month. I have to admit I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. I still have to figure out how I’m going to handle finances. I don’t have a visa yet (though I have an appointment Wednesday to get my biometrics taken.)

I’m also in school fulltime. I have papers, and final exams, and I’m trying to work on law school applications. Not to mention, I haven’t even started packing. How do you pack for 6 months, to live in a country you’ve never even been to before?

I’m also really nervous about being so far away from my family. Mom being sick really woke me up. I rely on my mother a lot. She’s my best friend. I call her 3 times a day to ask her advice, rant about random things, and tell her I love her. When I was living in Washington, D.C. it was difficult being far away from her but I could still call her whenever I wanted without worrying about there being a time difference. I could go home to visit on a whim if I really got homesick. I won’t have the option to fly back to NYC when I’m getting sick of the rain and silly accents. I’m going to have to fight off the bell jar and its stifling distortions all on my own.

I’m not scared about living in a new place. That’s the part I’m the least worried about. I’m not worried that I don’t know anyone in London. Not knowing anyone has never stopped me from moving somewhere before, in fact, it’s what excites me the most. I get to start over, make new friends, and I have the opportunity to implement the lessons I have learned from old mistakes. For me it’s the anticipation of leaving that’s the worst.

Despite my nerves, I’m really excited that it’s almost time for me to go. I know I’m going to be fine and I’ll work out all the important details. This is how I get before every trip/move. I panic. I try to think about ways to back out. I cry. Then I get on the plane and I finally relax.

Until I get on that plane, I’m going to try my best to calm down and take in all the things I know I’ll miss about NYC and spend as much time as possible with all the people I know I’ll miss here.

*Expat readers: Do you have any advice on how to deal with the pre-move jitters?*

 

Rainy Cold Sunday

Sorry I haven’t written in the last couple of weeks. Life was hectic; my mother was very sick. Seeing her in pain, lying on the hospital bed was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I was planning on canceling my trip to London if things didn’t get better but luckily they did. She’s going to be okay. Thank God! I love you Mom!

Now that I’m back and the weather in New York is getting colder I thought I’d share my favorite fall recipe with you, pumpkin bread!

I hope you enjoy it.

Pumpkin Bread

1 ¾ cups of flour

1 ½ cups of sugar

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

½ cup of vegetable oil

1/3 cup of water

1 ½ cups of pumpkin

¾ cup of nuts, raisins or chocolate chips (Use whichever you prefer. I always use chocolate chips.)

1. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl
2. Add the rest of the ingredients

3.  Mix with an electric beater for 3-4 minutes.

4. Coat a bread pan with butter flavored non-stick spray

5. Fill pan about ¾ of the way with the batter.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. It may take a bit longer, stick a toothpick in the center of the bread   to test if the center is still wet. It should be moist but solidified.

It tastes the best when it’s warm!

 

Attention all people in LDRs: Listen to Barron YoungSmith and Break-Up ASAP!

As I mentioned in my first post, I’m in a long distance relationship with a boy I met in Italy almost a year and a half ago.  I’m incredibly happy with him and our relationship despite the distance.  We talk to each other almost every day whether it’s through the phone, MSN messenger or webcam.  I’ve traveled to Italy to visit him and he’s come to NYC to see me.  Now that I’ll be in London soon, we’ll be traveling to see each other more often and I couldn’t be happier about it.

So you can imagine my anger when I saw this article on Slate.

You’re sitting in the airport terminal, rolling your copy of the Economist into a sweaty tube and waiting to see a significant other who lives far away. You’re excited. You’re aroused. But there’s something else, a nagging feeling that gurgles in your stomach and won’t go away. Is it pangs of guilt? It should be: The planet is about to suffer for your love.

I have been vegetarian for eight years.  I use energy-efficient lightbulbs, take public transportation as often as possible instead of driving, buy green cleaning products, organic food etc., but the notion that I’m being selfish and should end my long distance relationship for the sake of the environment is so incredibly ridiculous!

What’s more, out-of-town daters have less sex than local couples—and long stretches of abstinence between visits could lead to negative health outcomes and thus higher health care costs. Distance also magnifies the impact of negative feelings like longing and suspicion; according to one study, intercity lovers are  more likely to be depressed and less likely to share resources or take care of each other when sick. And they spend money on travel that they might otherwise save and invest—leaving them vulnerable to economic shocks and wearing away their future standard of living. Every one of these demons could be banished by simply dating local.

Ahh, simply date local!  Why didn’t I think of that?  Come on now, like it’s really all that simple.  Instead of buying a TV or car, I jump on a plane to Italy.  I don’t think that’s economically irresponsible.  And I’ve been a lot less depressed since I met F, thank you very much!

Obviously being in a long distance relationship isn’t an ideal situation but some people search their whole lives to find someone to love.  I think if a person if lucky enough to find love then that person should hold on to it, cherish it and try their best to make it work.

So Barron, fyi… I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to fall in love with someone who lives 5000 miles away and it’s not going to go away overnight either just because of your ignorant article.

I’m not going to feel guilty about traveling to see F either.  Why should I feel guilty for trying to sustain a healthy, positive, loving relationship?

 

Welcome

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

I’m taking Mr. Twain’s wise advice. I am going to explore, to dream, to discover the world and maybe myself along the way. So my darlings, welcome to my new travel blog, where traveling is more than a passion; it’s a life source!

I am an Italian-American college student from New York City and have recently been accepted to study abroad in London for the Spring 2009 semester (my last semester as an undergraduate student.) I thought it would be a fun idea to start a blog to keep my family and friends up-to-date with my European adventures and also get some practice in the art of travel writing. Though I won’t be leaving for London till the beginning of January, I decided to start this blog early to write about my preparation for leaving and also give my readers a taste of my home city.

This will not be my first trip to Europe. I have been to Italy the past two summers to visit my family in Sicily and my boyfriend in Abruzzo. The boyfriend is studying in Madrid this year so I’ll be taking several trips there to visit him. We’re really giving a new meaning to the term international affairs!

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy my cross-country musings!

A presto!