This day could have been much worse, I
thought while fighting the urge to pop the Mount Vesuvius sized blister on my
heel. Who thought it was a good idea to buy the shoes that were slightly
tighter than the ones that were blatantly too big? Oh yeah. Me.
The line for customs seemed endless. I
stood with half a trees’ worth of paper, praying that the customs agent
wouldn’t give me a hard time. Facebook had been blowing up all week with questions
from other students about Visa papers.
Sweating, I went up to desk 18. A gentleman
with gray hair stood there, smiling. How can you smile when you’re supposed to
interrogate me about my “work placement,” not my internship because that would
be a paid job, or why I am staying here for four months?
“Hello, how long will you be in England?”
He said smiling. Why are you smiling?
“I’ll be here for four months, I will be
studying at the Ithaca College London Center and I have a work placement with
the charity Attend.” Did I really say
that all confidently? Do you need any papers? Please, trust me.
“Where will you be staying?” Oh goodness.
“I don’t have a flat, yet, but the address
I have for you if for the London Center. It is in Kensington. I hear it’s a
very poshy neighborhood.”
“You’re very right, it is very nice there.
What are you studying?”
He could tell I was nervous.
“Well, my degree is in journalism in
politics so I am taking a few classes in that but I am also taking
Shakespeare.”
He chuckled. Stamp. Stamp.
“Alright, you have a wonderful time. You’re
all set.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I found my bag and met my driver,
Simon. He is a friend of my stepmom’s. Whenever she comes to London he drives her. Simon handed me his card before we even reached
the car.
“I told Michelle I would do this, but if
you ever need anything or find yourself in an area you do not know, please call
me.”
He gleefully told me everything about
London that he knew, from why the English drive on the correct side of the road
(knights on horses drew their swords from the left side, so they could fight on
the right when another horseman came. Also it was a Papal decision as well; the
U.S. and France rebelled after the Revolution), England’s “most undemocratic
democracy” as Simon put it (their politicians are actually real people, and are
put in their place constantly. They’re also not technically “elected” – the
party is elected at the leader of the party becomes Prime Minister.), and how
the unexplainable loyalty to the Queen during times of trouble.
It was absolutely breathtaking to see his
love for his country. Simon dropped me off at the hotel earlier than the other
students were transported from Heathrow. I curled up in a hotel lobby chair, my
feet just beginning to burn.
I expected traveling to be the must
difficult part of my day. At least, that was what I thought before I had to
find a place to live.
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