FIRST IMPRESSIONS

LONDON. That's where I am, and that's where I'll be for the next 5.5 months (give or take a few weekend trips to other countries). First impressions: big, fairly spread out, confusing, plenty of pubs, and a whole lot to cover in half a year. My first day (SATURDAY) was relatively uneventful. Arcadia coordinated a coach to take my colleagues and I from the airport to our temporary living arrangements, the Thistle Hotel – Barbican. We were paired with roommates, and mine happened to also be a bio major studying at UCL. We had a couple meetings, ate (free) dinner, and we were told to stay out as late as possible , forcing us onto London time asap. A few of us decided to check out the local pub scene and we started at “The Britannia”. This tiny pub, about a block from the hotel, was filled with older men and women from the area. What I'm trying to say is that we didn't really blend in. We stuck out, but the people were friendly and drinks a plenty, until they closed at 8pm. EARLY. 2 pints down and on to the second pub, “The Bull's Head.” A more colorful and younger crowd was gathered here. We found a table next to a family playing darts (including a younger boy, about 8-9 y.o.) and continued conversing with each other. After that, we went to our last pub, “The Royal Star” (filled with a few arsenal fans leftover from the game earlier that night. Arsenal beat birmingham 3-0.) and had another pint (4total) and made our way back to the hotel, but not before getting seriously lost for 30 minutes. I didn't sleep well, but I don't normally sleep well in new places (or when it feels like 5pm).

SUNDAY: The most eventful day. We had a big free breakfast, a bunch of arcadia meetings, then broke up into groups to go on a SCAVENGER HUNT through the city of London. My group consisted of Matthew (my bio major hotel roommate), Stephen (orange county native), Conner (fellow big ten school, minnesota student) and me. Our trek took us through the city center of london, a little west london and ended on the southbank. Locations included, but were not limited to: Covent Gardens, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, the houses of Parliament, Downing Street, westminster bridge, and the london eye. The top 4 groups were treated to dinner by arcadia and we were one of the top 4 groups, via 2 tiebreakers (thanks for telling conner and I about “The Ashes,” daniel). Dinner was alright, afterwards a few of us headed back to the hotel before taking the tube to SOHO. Soho was mostly closed, but we managed a pint before finding picadilly circus and regent's street- two places I will return to soon. We made our way back towards the hotel and met some fellow arcadians at “The Nag's Head” where there was some live music and a packed house.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (Jan, 4,5,6): Moved into thoresby, went to dinner at an indian place in north london, fell asleep super early and woke up at 12pm. Still slept terribly, coughed all night. Oh, I got a phone on monday, too. A POS pay as you go phone. It was 1.50. Tuesday I ate free breakfast at the hotel (even though I should have already checked out hehehehehe) then we headed to check out the UCL campus. Campus was awesome. It's situated in the heart of Bloomsbury and is comprised of many buildings, old and new. We checked out the living arrangements of the others then ate lunch at a pub (traditional english food) and met Joe. A friendly pensioner how bought us a pint and chatted with us for about an hour. I headed back to thoresby, took a nap, showered, then met up with the group I toured UCL with, and we headed to chinatown. We ate, explored east london (we went waaaayyyy too far east though), and I came back to thoresby to hydrate and rest in an attempt to get over this cold/cough. Today I ate breakfast at the hotel again (tehe), NAPPED, got groceries, organized my camera so it's ready to take manymanymanymanymanymanymany pictures. Crupe left lots o' pictures on my card, AND HE WILL PAY FOR THAT MISTAKE DEARLY. Tonight I'll probably head back to “The Royal Star” and enjoy a pint while I watch some Arsenal football.

end blog post.