Sorry it’s been ages since I last wrote – I know I promised to write more in just a couple of weeks, but I’ve been so busy that it just sort of slipped away from me.  I guess that I should start in the beginning in order to properly catch you up…

I arrived in England after an extraordinarily stressful 24 hours.  I didn’t quite manage to get everything packed into boxes from my old room, so by the time I gave up trying I was due to leave for the airport in 15 minutes.  Try packing enough for an entire year into just 2 suitcases in only 15 minutes while simultaneously trying to check in via your malfunctioning computer.  I guarantee that you will also have a nervous breakdown.

At the airport, I had to deal with getting patted down (I guess I could have avoided it, but I hate the idea of those full body scanners, so I requested the alternate screening).  By the time I got on the plane, I was exhausted and ready to just zone out with the in-flight entertainment.  I specifically chose Virgin Atlantic because of their superior selection of shows and games, but (just my luck!) my screen was broken.  Plus the dude next to me kept on talking every time I was about to drift off to sleep.

Fortunately, when I got to Heathrow my uncle was waiting to pick me up – SO nice, considering how dreadfully godawful London traffic can be and the hideously expensive price of petrol (sidebar: I remember complaining about the cost of gas in America when it hit $3.75 a gallon – here, it’s more like $11 dollars a gallon.  OY).  I stayed at my aunt and uncle’s house for the next week, then went down to school where I’ve been ever since.

It’s rather hard to believe that I’ve been in England for more than a month – time has just flown past.  I’m starting to adopt the lingo (oh boy, do I ever have some funny stories about that for you) and I’m finally starting to realize that I can’t spend pounds like they’re dollars (considering that they’re nearly double the price.  Yeowch!).  It no longer feels “foreign” to be here, and most of the time I don’t feel like a foreigner either – when I do, it’s usually for new experiences like topping up my mobile or dealing with the bureaucracy at the National Insurance office.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll try and post more about the specifics of how I spent the past month, complete with pictures.  More soon!