The London Countdown

It's finally the end of the semester.  I have now reached senior status.

Yeah, that's right, senior status.  I can't believe it, either.  Three years flew by so fast.  Cue all the "I swear it was only yesterday I was moving into Johnson Hall and walking into McBryde for my first class of freshman year."  If that's what's going through my mind tonight, then I can't imagine how I'll feel a year from now.

But for now, I'm taking a break from packing and cleaning and laundry to enjoy my favorite Jimmy John's sandwich--#12, for those of y'all who were curious--and watch my shows before finishing.  It's been a really long three weeks--as seen by the fact that it took me until now to write and finish this post--and I am reeling in the opportunity to take a breath and chill.

And then in a few days, I'll repeat the process as I pack to leave for a month in London.

I leave America on May 25 and land at London Heathrow around 10 am local time on May 26.  I'm flying by myself and meeting up with the other 11 VT students at our flats in the city.

Yeah, it's kind of a frightening thought.  Navigating through Heathrow by myself?  Okay, so maybe not completely by myself...two other guys will arrive at Heathrow around the same time as me, so we're trying to map out a meeting spot so we can brave the tube and find our flats together.

But until I find them in the airport...I'm by myself.

I'm not new to traveling or flying, at least domestically.  I've flown solo back and forth between Atlanta and Philly several times.  Sure, I know the Atlanta airport like the back of my hand, and most of Philly's.  But from what I remember about Heathrow when we flew into London a few years ago...well, actually, I don't even remember that much.  We won't have functional cell phones, either, so it's not like I could call the two guys and ask where they are.

So yeah, that'll be a fun little adventure.

While in London, I'll have a ton of free time.  I want to see as much of London as possible, and explore the nearby countryside.  The independence to do that on my own--or at least plan my own outings and explorations--is both exciting and terrifying.  The freedom to plan and pursue my own adventures is something I'm looking forward to most on this trip, but I'd be lying if I said it isn't already somewhat nerve-wracking.  I've heard London is an easily navigable city and the tube is simple to figure out, but the thought of traversing around an unfamiliar city is nothing short of scary.

Maybe I'm just too afraid to look like an uber American student tourist.  Maybe I should just let it go and embrace the opportunity to stand out.  What's an experience abroad without an oh-my-God-what-a-tourist-silly-American moment?  Or even a wrong turn or getting off the tube a stop early?  Or getting lost at Heathrow, because that's entirely possible.

Maybe I will be "that" student.  Why not?

Nine days, y'all.  I'm going to try to blog every day while I'm over there, but I can't make any promises.  But expect a lot of pictures.