i'm here!

The moment you've all been waiting for...first post from LONDON, ENGLAND!!! Sorry it's taken so long to get this up and running....

Okay, just for you detail-oriented readers who want every nit-picky detail of the trip here, I'm sorry, but I just don't have time to write out ever little think. Just know that I flew from SLC to NYC to Heathrow and they were long flights, but I actually enjoy airports, so, no big. :) I did manage to read A Christmas Carol, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Hamlet while in the midst of my travels. Total hours flying: thirteen.

Landed at HEATHROW (sounds so Bourne) and got through entry by declaring myself as a "student visitor" and changed to Monopoly money...I mean, pounds. It's colourful, though, to be sure. Got our luggage (there were five of us that arrived together) and made our way to the tube (underground/metro/subway) station at the airport in order to take the tube to our "flat." Turns out that taking the train and then transferring trains with five lost Americans with luggage is quite the adventure. People were staring. For good reason. We looked ridiculous. And, I'm pretty sure Americans are genetically molded to have louder voices. I felt like I needed to be reverent in the airport.
So we got out at the right stop, couldn't tell which way we needed to go once we got out onto the street, got honked at by a taxi (coming from the right), and walked about half a mile in the wrong direction. Even so, it was a very picturesque walk. Then, some kindly people set us straight and we finally made it to Palace Court, to our flat. Yay!

Our flat is over 100 years old. Super authentic. And super awesome. And lacking in hot water. But still cool. I'm on the bottom floor, which is lucky, since some of the rooms are up 60 stairs. In order to stay awake, we took our first "walk" around the neighborhood. We have several "walks" we have to do, so this was our first one. We have quite a charming neighborhood! Several cafes, a couple tube stops, Whiteley's (a mall-type place) - which was Hitler's fav building in London fyi, lots of cool restaurants, and lots and lots of shops. It's fantastic! Also, we live right across the street from Kensington Gardens, which is so picturesque and a quintessential London park. Watch any movie that features a London park and know that they are really like that in real life! We also got our "Oyster" passes, which is a month-long pass to use the tube, so we tested that out by taking the tube to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, just to have a look-see. Just so you know, we were all super duper tired and jet-lagged and falling asleep on the tube. People kept laughing at us.





Today (Sunday) had us up at 7:30 for breakfast before going to church at the Hyde Park Ward. To get to the Hyde Park ward, one simple takes a gander through Hyde Park. Charming, really. :) We won't normally go to that ward, but for this first Sunday, it was easiest. Starting next week, I have been assigned to attend the Kensington Spanish-speaking branch, which will be an adventure to say the least. Too bad I left my Libro de Mormon at home.




After church, several of us went to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is absolutely magnificent! It is the site of Winston Churchill's funeral, Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding, and the tuppence bird lady on Mary Poppins. Also, the dome is the 2nd largest, 2nd to the St. Paul's in Rome. It's breaktaking, really. We went inside to look around and actually stayed for an hour-long evening service, which was cool because we got to sit right below the dome and listen to this eerie organ music and this etherial choir and listen to an Easter message given by "a clergy of the Church of England" (name that movie and I give you ten points).


Dinner was fabulous, as we were all starving. It was probably fabulous anyway, actually. But after dinner, we walked alond Kensington Gardens again, looking at the local art that they have on display on Sundays, just to look at or to purchase. Then, back at our flat (I LOVE saying that!) we had an orientation meeting and a fireside.


Some girls wanted to go out afterwards, so we took a tube ride to Oxford Circus (just a random stop), walked around a bit, then came home.

Tomorrow begins our first day of class at nine in the morning. It's pretty late now, so I'm going to call it a night soon.


I LOVE LONDON!

p.s. i took all these photos (or else had someone take a picture of me...so it's even more legit that i was in these exact spots! enjoy!)