Chelsea Orcutt

We’re here! It’s been a very eventful few days in London, marked by severe jet lag, interesting food and lots of city exploration.

But first, some highlights of the the flight. We departed JFK at approximately 8:30 p.m. on August 29. I had trouble sleeping, but to answer the question on everyone’s minds, I ordered the pasta and salmon dinner option. I feel that this merits a photo:

The food on the flight was pretty decent. I also attempted to settle in for a nap, but ended up watching 30 Rock and following our current location on the seat-back screen instead. My biological clock was not pleased.

Before I knew it, it was daylight and time to land! After a long line at the UK border, the other SU students and I took the provided shuttle to the hotel. My roommates and I went straight to our flat and to drop off our bags. Our flat is wonderful! It’s really clean and in a great neighborhood. There’s a park right across the street, too. However, and this is true throughout London, space is a luxury and our rooms are fairly compact.

After an orientation meeting at the hotel, we grabbed a quick lunch at Joe’s. Then, we bought our new mobiles and continued exploring the city. I’ve noticed that it’s very similar to New York City, but the architecture is more historical and ornate. The double-decker buses are pretty great too.

I’m excited to learn more about London and develop a routine once classes begin. Until then, I’ll keep exploring. Stay tuned for details about my first grocery-shopping experience at Sainsbury’s (it’s no Wegmans, but I was relatively pleased), as well as a few other firsts. I still can’t believe we’ve only been here for three days. (And don’t worry, I’ll be posting more interesting photos soon. I realize that most people don’t care too deeply about pictures of plane food and crappy cell phones.)