day 1 & a half.

Well, hey, I've been in London for over twenty-four hours now and I'm finally blogging. This is definitely the hard part: When a day has seemed as long as a week and I, with my power of obsessing over the details, have to sum it all up. [Ew, I hate that expression]...

The journey...wasn't half bad. We all know I've always been terrified of flying, probably because I only did it once as a small child, completely lost any memory of it, and then didn't have to do it again til I was twenty. Getting more and more used to it, though I still did the double Xanax pop. I'd had a headache for a few hours [big surprises] and the Xanax konked me out. By the way, Virgin, update the menu - I got the same dinner I got last fall, though it wasn't bad. So anyway, tried to watch Milk, which I've seen at least twice already, but konked out for at least three hours sometime around the point when Emile Hirsch makes his second appearance. Got woken up for muffins at about 6am London time [1am Kristin's brain time], downed a cup of OJ, hoping it would help the stubborn headache, but alas...And felt a whole lot better when I opened up the window [best seat in the house, by the way, and no seat partner] to spy a gorgeous sunrise over the ocean, which then turned into a gorgeous sunrise over the tip of England, aka Penzance, where I have been, Thank you very much.

sunrise, just before reaching england

I couldn't have asked for better weather when we landed. I could see the whole city with the descent - We swooped over the Thames and I named the bridges as we went. It was at this point, I believe, that the heart-burstingwith-joy began. Suddenly didn't feel tired and grumpy anymore.

can you spy: parliament, the london eye, the aquarium, westminster bridge, hungerford bridge, the nt, waterloo bridge, waterloo station, westminster abbey?

I smiled my way through customs, which only took about ten minutes, and is always far easier than expected. Bag pick up, easy. Money exchange easy. Topped up my old Oyster card and hopped on the Tube, not too bad either. Hardest part was feeling like a jerk with my giant bags as twenty people got on at Hammersmith.

And that brings me to Pickwick! Place hasn't changed at all, though I noticed on the walk here that they finally constructed that wall along Southampton Row - No more awkward platform to trudge over. Anyway, Patrick was surprised to find me so alert and, well, lacking of grumps, but I assured him I was running on pure bliss adrenaline and I was working on just not exploding with joy [which is hopefully the lamest combination of words I shall use today].

So I couldn't check in right away, which was fine with me. I took a walk to my favourite spot on earth. Took the 168 bus to Waterloo Bridge and walked past the NT and all the way down to the Globe. The weather was perfect: Partly cloudy skies, probably about high 60s. After I walked to the Globe, I walked back, past the NT, past the London Eye, got that same bubble gum gelato at the place Caitlin and Amanda and I got it last fall post-Movieum, and stood there outside, admiring Parliament across the river. Perfection.

...these are a few of my favourite things.

When I finally got back to Pickwick, I basically crashed for a couple hours, which was good because it helped me get through the rest of the day. Pretty sure I did exactly what I did last year, except with more plane sleep this time. After the nap, I went to Sainsbury's, got some of my favourite groceries [Lucozade, Tracker bars, Mars bars, HobNobs, apples, and more] all for £10. How people say this city is expensive, I have no idea. I could buy that much stuff at Stop & Shop and it would cost me over $20. Dropped those off, had a bite to eat, went back out, and bought myself my favourite eyeliner [only sold in the UK, I've been making that tube last for almost a year!] and a travel hairdryer so I can actually have a hair dryer when I go to the UK. Awesome.

while the hobnob wrapper design has changed,

my awkward yet obligatory photobooth portraits have not.

Done with necessities shopping, by that time it was just about time to head out to Leicester Square and catch a movie! Half ashamed, I decided on Harry Potter. Saw it at the same cinema I went to last year when I saw The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, though it was far, far more crowded this time. Once again, this was an experience to have: The London cinema. This was the hugest movie theatre I've ever been in - As big as, well a Theatre theatre. The previews: Awesome. Instead of lame movie trivia with awful background music, they show commercials with adorable British children. Their adverts, by the way, are miles better than ours.

The previews made me laugh for multiple reasons. First of all, new movie coming out, and it looked pretty cool at first and then it was basically this: ROBERT DOWNEY JR JUMPS OUT OF PARLIAMENT WINDOW INTO THAMES, RACHEL MCADAMS, CORSET, SEX, ROBERT DOWNEY JR BEATING PEOPLE UP, MAKING OUT, BEATING UP, BLOOD, SEX, VIOLENCE, RACHEL MCADAMAS IN A CORSET, OCCASIONALLY JUDE LAW, PENIS HUMOUR, ROBERT DOWNEY JR IS HILARIOUS. And that's what I gathered from it and then it was just like...Sherlock Holmes. And I'm like, really? Really?

Second preview that made me laugh was because I'd just seen this movie a little over a week ago and I'd just barely caught it in theatres: Up! Fantastic film...hasn't even come out here yet. It was just kind of weird sitting there, laughing at all the stuff in the previews because I actually knew what was happening, and them all laughing because they'd never seen this before! Yeah, wow, Kristin, other country, big surprise, but you know, gimme a break.

So enough about previews. Harry Potter: I think I've only read up to book three or four? It might have been five. Pretty sure I last read it in middle school. Anyway, I think I've seen all the movies. I didn't think I'd seen the last one but with how this one started, I remembered and am pretty sure I saw it in the theatre. Thing is, though I kind of pretty much...really hate the books, the movies are absolutely fantastic. I love movies that embrace all the abilities of film without strangling it [ie films where the CGI is in-yo-face]. They can use visual effects, but still keep it real. One of the reasons I love Narnia [oh yes, hahaha] and one of the reasons I am a fan of the Harry Potter films. They are extremely exciting to watch, visually appealing, and hey, I have no emotional connection to Dumbledore, but man, I'll admit it tugged at my heart strings...though not enough to make me cry as half the audience was doing. Damn. So, anyway, well done, you.

Came back, talked to a couple people online, edited photos, read the London Paper [Winehouse is punchin ladies, Steve Gerrard Gerrard is innocent], and finally slumbered around 2am my time, 9pm yours.

And, jeez, that's a sum up. Yesterday was apparently Do as much as you can in a day Day.

Today's plan: Shopping! Urban Outfitters and TopShop have been calling my name for such a long, long time. Tonight, going to see England People Very Nice on the Olivier stage at the NT. YES.

Tomorrow's plan: Weather depending, perhaps a stroll somewhere Thamesy. Perhaps Greenwich. Haven't decided. Tomorrow night, perhaps a night out with m'boys [North London boys, not South London boys].

Sunday: Movin' to Westminster.

And that's the upcoming stuff! That was long, but just to throw something on that isn't summaries, srsly...A few of the things I've noticed that just haven't changed a bit and make me burst into smiles, and make me feel like I never left home:

The smell of the city, every inhale you take a new, rich, wonderful smell, but that overall smell of London I didn't realise I missed until I got here. The way English cobblestone feels under worn soles. The brown of the Thames. The buskers under Blackfriars Bridge still play crazy music and still speak some unrecognisable language. The sound of a sudden, quick shower tapping on my balcony. Feeling like a bus is going to clip you when you stand on the edge of a sidewalk, but they never do. Knowing when to cross the street even when the sign tells you not to, and leaving all the tourists in the dust. Knowing how to swiftly swipe an Oyster card, and leaving all the tourists in the dust. Knowing your way all around the city, and helping a tourist out. The way the trains in the Tube first blow your hair in one direction when they come speeding through the tunnel, and then suck it back the other way as they screech to a stop. And of course, the brilliant British people - Their traditions, their culture, their world, their home.

It's been way too long and even though it's weird being here alone, I don't even care. You'd think I'd get sick of it eventually, but I love this country and this city so much more, every day.