I arrived in London Heathrow Airport, tired, sweaty, and jet-lagged. Not exactly the glamorous entrance I had in my mind, but I was excited none the less. I was in London!
Getting to Regents University was fairly uneventful: My bags hadn’t been lost, and customs went by faster than I had expected. Upon arriving by taxi to Regents however, I was informed that my room was on the third floor. Only in England, the first floor is actually the second floor, the second floor is the third floor, and so on. Confusing, I know. Not only this, but there was no elevator, nor some gent to help me with even one of my 40 pound bags. You may imagine the things that were coming out of my mouth as I struggled to drag my giant suitcase, and the bag that had been cutting into my shoulder all morning, up three flights of stairs. It seems that the number 3 has become my unlucky number, as this is now the third time I have lived on the third floor of a building, and the second in which there has been no elevator.
That first day was probably the longest day of my life. I went from meeting to meeting, given information that I was too tired to comprehend, took my first walk into the city at night, came within inches of being flattened by a black cab, and finally collapsed into bed after 30+ hours of no sleep.
The rest of the week was filled with more orientation meetings, more walking, and my first drink in a pub. I took a bus tour on Saturday, but have yet to explore more of the park in which I’m residing. The weather has been rather windy and cold, but I’m hoping for sunny skies in the coming week.
In a way, it hasn’t really hit me that I’m in London, other than when I first arrived, because the city seems much like any other, until you speak with someone and realize where you are again. I must admit that my first few days here, I’ve been more grouchy than excited to be in such a new and amazing city: I took three showers in three different bathrooms, and each one of them either had temperatures that couldn’t be adjusted, or they filled up with water so quickly that before I knew it I was just standing in a pool of my own filth, or the water pressure was bad. The rooms have also been so cold that I’ve gone to bed bundled from head to toe.
Despite the discomfort at times, Regents is a beautiful and mysterious college, that reminds me in a way of what Hogwarts would be like. There’s hidden corridors, and doors that know when you’re coming so they open automatically for you, and all the buildings connect together so after some exploring with a friend, I finally figured out how to get to each one without going outside. For some background, Regents University is inside Regents Park, and it’s all owned by the Queen. So, that makes me practically royalty. 😉
Tomorrow begins the first week of classes, and I’m very excited to have a set schedule, meet more wonderful people from all over the world, and participate in all the exciting classes I’m taking. Till next time!
Here Comes the Sun:
The view from my bedroom window. More pictures of the park to come. And yes, the grass IS that green.
And this is me exploring ‘the castle’ last night. These windows are actually quite comfortable, and I plan to go back with a good book. 
esspressonmyself 