I'm going on an adventure!

Okay, so I think I finally got my bearings today.  Our first few days were somewhat of a blur... Staying awake for two days straight kind of makes one unable to take in one's surroundings! Our first day here was exhausting, and I mean exhausting. Jase and I flew to DFW from Abilene (about an hour long flight, started at 1:35 in the afternoon). We had time to kill in DFW because our flight boarded at 4:50.  Then came the longest plane ride of my life so far. I got about an hour of sleep, tops. I guess I forgot how loud planes are! The whole ride it felt like a giant was holding the plane and humming right next to it. I ended up watching two movies, Pitch Perfect (of course) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (better than I thought it was going to be!). 

Anyway, by the time the sleepless ride ended, it was 2:00 am our time, 8:00 am London time! We met up with the rest of the groups in Heathrow and took a coach to our hotel, the Pickwick.  Caitlyn, Lydia, and I quickly shuffled our suitcases up to the third floor of the hotel, the top floor. Guys, imma be in excellent shape by the end of this trip. No elevator = buns of steel. We unpacked and then went out to explore the neighborhood. Coming back, my body went into sleep mode while I was still awake. It was the weirdest thing ever. They warned us not to nap so we would get over jet-lag easier, but my body just took over. I laid down on my bed and I started the quick/fast breathing and I kept on getting really dizzy. I had to crash for about an hour, and then I was good to go!

So today I walked. So much. Like I said, guys, really good shape this semester. ;D Hah. Woke up about 10:00 and showered (hot water comes and goes... no luck today. Had to just shampoo really fast. Haha). Then we went to buy some temporary cell phones, got a cheap Samsung brick-like phone for 15 quid. Takes me back to middle school! We shopped a little more and then we started our walk around the city with our teacher from our British Life and Culture class. He's a cute little old British man who walks with a cane. I love him already. We walked for about 2 1/2 hours. Snowing the whole time. I get paranoid walking around the city here; we've already had several lectures about the fact that we must be aware that the cars come and go on the opposite side of the streets. It's hard to get used to looking the other way! Also, if you get hit here, it's your fault. The driver can sue you for the damage done to his/her car, even if you have a poor little mangled body. Great Britain is harsh.

After our adventure around the city, we journeyed to Archway (first expedition on the tube!) to see a musical, "Crazy for You." Classic Gershwin, "I've got rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," etc.  Lots of tap dancing. I loved it.  Watching people tap dance makes me feel like I can tap dance, which is a mistake.  The theatre was actually inside a pub, and we talked with the actors some after the play ended.  They had done some Texan/Southern accents throughout the show, and the lead female was so excited when we talked to her and told her she had a good accent in the show! She said in her quaint little British voice, "Oh, I do get so self-conscious about that accent!" She was a sweetheart; I could have put her in my pocket and carried her around.

Tomorrow is the Tube Rally. 9:30 am, I'll be up and scouring the routes of foggy London Town! Wish us luck... top three teams win a cash prize, 20 pounds. Aw yeah. Hope it goes well! I have no doubt that it will, whether we win or not!