After a week of intense traveling with some intense luggage to carry, I've made it to my destination: Hull, UK.
Here's a nice long recap of the last week...
DAY ONE:
I arrive in London at 7:55am with no real idea of where I'm supposed to end up at the end of the day. A friend who has resided in London for about two years (AKA Sebastian) offered me up a room for the night and my luggage a resting place for the duration of my trip to Italy (Ryanair really gets you on those luggage charges).
This is the only knowledge I have for the day:
1. Sebastian's address. (but no real directions or a contact number)
2. Sebastian's work schedule. (9:30 - 5:30)
3. Sebastian's suggestion to purchase a day pass for the tube, and to leave my luggage in a locker at the Liverpool Street Station.
4. A London: A-Z book.
Realizing I have an entire work day to fill with things to do in a big city absolutely foreign to me, I awkwardly wheel my two pieces of luggage filled with about a years worth of my life about the underground. On two different occasions, a Londoner saw me struggle, (also probably heard me cursing) and offered to help me. Other than that, most people just walked by. On the tube, I did meet a very nice lady who wanted to talk about religion and politics, which we all know are very wonderful introductory topics of conversation.
After dropping off my luggage, I leave the Liverpool Street Station, and finally set foot above ground for the first time in London. This is when I realize that I forgot to grab an umbrella from my luggage. I walk around in the rain, and try to find somewhere to eat. Please remember, this is my first time outside of the U.S., and I'm alone. I'm too afraid to cross the streets, so I stand around, and wait till other people start crossing the street. I come up to a couple of intersections where there are no visible walking signs, yet cars passing by. There are no other pedestrians in sight. I get so nervous, I just turn around and start walking the other way.
I realize there are men in suits EVERYWHERE. It is quite ridiculous. Don't get me wrong. I think men look very nice in suits, and I also wish more men would dress up in Albuquerque, but I just keep wondering what these men are dressed up for. None of them are in buildings, working their little hearts out. They are flooding the tube and the streets with their 9 to 5 chic fashion, and making it much harder for me to stop and figure out where the hell I am.
I get back on the tube, and take it to Westminster. I walk around until it is absolutely pouring outside. I duck into a sandwich shop, and just order whatever the person before me orders because nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing really sounds that appetizing. I just really need a place to sit, and my stomach had begun to get verbal about its hunger. I eat a bacon and avocado with yogurt sandwich, and it's just mushy. I am able to eat a fourth of the sandwich and drink a coffee before I head out to see if there is anything else of interest.
After about four more hours of just wandering around, I trek back to collect my luggage, and decide that a taxi to take me exactly where I need to be without any more worries is worth ten pounds. I get to Sebastian's address, and find out that there is someone else staying with this friend of mine, and that I could have arrived at his house earlier.
The other girl staying there is really nice, and I warm up to her instantly, as I do with Sebastian's flatmates. Chloe, the other girl is just staying for the week. She's living in Barcelona, but is interning for London Fashion Week. Brian, one of the roommates is Irish and very attractive, which automatically means he's gay. And there's Lina, the other roommate. She is really nice and funny and originally from Sweden; However, I don't think she understands this fixation America has on Scandinavia. I just enjoy dinner with them, and learn a few things about living in the UK. Then Sebastian with a wine stained mouth arrives. We say hi, and I give him the Buffalo Chipotle he requested. He stays up and talks to Chloe, and I try to figure out how to get to Stansted Airport the next morning for my flight to Italy.
Next entry, my Italy experience...
I will also follow up with a mix tape song list that I've created for my friends.
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1 comment:
Congratulations on making it to Hull: i haven't been out there for about 8 or 9 years, but as I remember the Blue Lamp was very good, Spiders was the only Indie night I can remember, fairly predictable but cheap as chips: 2o p for Vodka (albeit watered down) The Baltic Wharf was also a pleasant if slightly scruffy boozer.
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