Here it is a day before my arrival in London. This time tomorrow I will have already settled down into my cozy suite on campus and absorbed my fill of orientation information.
To say I am excited is to say the least. This is my first time out of the country. (Caribbean cruises don’t count to me because I’m a Floridian.) Since I was a little kid I dreamed of traveling to Paris or even London. Here I am. Ten plus years later and I will be drinking my fair share of tea, picking up British slang, and studying in London. This is a dream come true.
I can sum up my feelings in two words: underprepared and overexcited. Unprepared because I am about to be dropped into a city larger than New York population wise with a handful of souls that I may have met once or twice. Underprepared because I will have to Google Map nearly every single place I go. Underprepared because what is winter? What is cold? Someone please tell my sun-soaked self what a parka is and why I need one.
Overexcited because over the past years airports and departing flights have become my signs for knowing I am almost home, not leaving. Overexcited because adventure, uncertainty, and slight discomfort tend to be my defaults. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Overexcited because it’s London!
But really? What is a high of 48° F in the winter?