Hello there! As of 12:30pm yesterday, I have arrived in London! So far it is everything I had imagined and more. But before I begin detailing my London adventures, I must talk of my travels...
So, the 12 hour flight was a bit too long for my tastes – those airplane seats are so uncomfortable and make it almost impossible to get any good sleep. Thus, I arrived in London quite exhausted and a little bit disoriented, seeing that I practically skipped an entire day (I left on Thursday afternoon from San Francisco and arrived in London on Friday afternoon, which also explains my lack of a blog post for Friday). It was a really weird time warp, and of course this did not help my jet lag at all.
Nonetheless, I would not let my exhaustion get to me! I crossed the UK border, and another intern was waiting at a cafe for me with a sign. After getting all set up with an Oyster Card (kind of like an NYC Metro Card), we took the Tube from the airport to meet with the internship leaders at their flat in Central London.
And while riding the Tube, I began to realize that London reminds me incredibly of NYC. I felt at home almost immediately. London has all of the glorious aspects that NYC possess as well – the bustling crowd, the Tube, the fast-paced feel in the air, etcetera. Although I must admit, London is much more beautiful. Maybe it's the old buildings with lots of character, the cobblestone streets, or the River Thames running through the middle of the city? I'm not entirely sure what it is, but London is breathtaking – the same way NYC is breathtaking, but multiplied by 10 (or possibly 100).
So – back to the details – we arrived at the intern leaders' flat in Central London, had a quick lunch, and then set out to meet my host. My host lives in South London, about a 20-30 minute train ride from Central London. Of course, I don't mind being a bit further out because I just spent a year in New York! I know how to work the train system, and I know how to commute. Plus, London is London – I'd be happy to live anywhere in this city! I love the neighborhood that I'm staying in, too. It slightly reminds me of Little Whinging from the Harry Potter series.
Friday was quite a busy day – I arrived at the airport, got settled in my host's house, and went to a church event that the South London Church was having that night. It was definitely exhausting, no doubt, but it helped keep me awake and fight off my jet lag. Needless to say, I slept like a log that night.
Today (Saturday) was the kick-off for the internship! We all gathered in the internship leaders' flat and got to meet each other in person for the very first time. It was so much fun to meet everyone and hear everyone's background – where they come from, where they live now, what university they go to, what they're studying, etcetera. We had a quick lunch, and then we had a lesson – getting our minds and hearts focused on God and serving His Kingdom. After the meeting, we all took the Tube and headed over to a park to meet with the other campus students in London. We also had a quick lesson in the park, and then we all got to talk and hang out with each other afterwards. All of the students were so kind, and I got to know/talk to quite a few of them. I'll tell you now, I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that British accent – it's too amazing. I love the Brits, so good thing I'm spending five weeks here.
Anywho, this was a slightly longer update than I'll probably usually be doing, due to the fact that I had to detail Friday as well. I'm still very exhausted, and very jet lagged, but I'll keep moving forward. Nothing can stop this grand adventure! So, until next time – I'm off to bed, toodledo!
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