this post mostly concerns food

this post was written when i was DYING for some airplane peanuts..

Good morning from Britain

Hello! It’s currently 6:45am EST, 12:45pm London-time, 1:45pm Madrid time, 3:15am Delhi-time. After the complicated affair of packing up my life into two small bags and a backpack and tying up all of the loose ends of home, I am finally off. Currently I’m at the gate in Heathrow airport waiting for my 12:15pm flight with Iberia to Madrid where I will meet Chelsea in the airport.

The act of getting all of my stuff together wasn’t really the issue – I’ve been packing bit by bit for so long that getting things into the bags happened quickly. It was all of those little things that you mentally remind yourself to do and then have to do allatthelastminute that were killer. My parents and I left for the airport for a last stop at the pharmacy for some things I forgot and to my friend Allison’s house to say goodbye L I’m so excited for this trip, but saying goodbye to friends at home has been sad. But in the words of my friend Kirsten, before I know it we’ll be in my living room looking at pictures from the semester.

My parents and I got to the BWI international wing way early and killed some time in a Starbucks before I headed through security and boarded my first of six flights on this journey. The British Airways flight was filled with study abroad students using Heathrow as a hub to their studies in the rest of the world. It was funny how you could pick them out. My seat was next to my new friend Megan, a UVM student headed to Grenada. It was her 21^st birthday, and as it was departure day, she had been unable to celebrate, so we toasted some free white wine (oh hello international waters) to her birthday, to travel, and to two impending incredible semesters across the world.

                Over the next seven hours I did do these things: watched Eat, Pray, Love (the book was better) and The Social Network (ok, it was pretty good), ate a (surprisingly) delicious dinner of some veggie pasta, chatted with Megan about our sororities, schools, plans, boys, music, watched as Megan took picture after picture of the gorgeous sunrise rising up to join us above the cloud cover. Over the next seven hours I did not do these things: watch the documentary on Gandhi that my program asked I watch, study my Hindi flashcards, read my required readings, sleep. Decisions, decisions.

                We got in at 9:05am London-time, and I was instantly immersed into easily the most intense airport I’ve ever seen. Everything about Heathrow is intense – huge buses from terminal to terminal, security checks that involve opening even my chapstick to have a look around, duty free shopping stores that you literally have to walk through to get where you need to go, and just general confusion of the masses as people try not to miss their flights. Megan had a flight that left soon after landing, so I walked with her to the gate (no easy feat – it was faaaaaaar) and was on my own in Heathrow for a few hours.

                My flight didn’t leave until 12:15pm, and every time I checked the board it ready simply that the number of the gate would be unavailable until 11:30am. Cutting it close if you ask me… but I’m not being asked ;) This breaks all kinds of rules of travel (avoiding raw fish in airports is probably a rule), but as soon as I saw this awesome sushi place with revolving dishes circling around the room, my love for sushi won out. I sat down and filled up a cup of water, and quickly realized it was pretty dirty… I was so hungry so I grabbed some edamame from the revolving plates, but the sushi didn’t look so good either. Figuring bad sushi was the last thing I wanted on my first day, I ate the edamame, paid, and left. Next place to hit up was a café offering croissants (worst croissant ever) and some British apple juice that was actually extremely delicious… Ok I know I’m getting super detailed here and you probably don’t want to hear about every single thing I’ve eaten, but I’m SO HUNGRY and food is on the brain. Skip forward if necessary..

                This lead me to the Heathrow $$$ dilemma. Do not spend money in Heathrow unless you’re prepared to spend a lot of money in Heathrow, or have exact change, preferably in pounds. Though I paid in Euros, my change was given back to me in pounds, but it wasn’t enough to exchange at the exchange booth. Grrr……. These things are heavy and will have to wait to be spent until next layover. By then I’ve got to get better versed in pounds.

                I’m on the plane to Madrid on Iberia Airlines now. Lots of rapid Spanish and no food. I made the mistake of ordering a tea assuming it was complimentary – not so. Farewell, 2E.

Chelsea is meeting me at the airport. So excited to get a sandwich and a NAP!