Orientation...and so it begins (pun intended)

First day of orientation went well!! It was so nice to finally be at the school and at least get a glimpse of what to expect for the coming year.  We have a very eclectic group of students, coming from an extremely diverse set of backgrounds in art, art history, business, economics and everything in between.  

After a long day of trading information and introductions, we were even allowed the chance to visit a local gallery showing a sculpture exhibition by Thomas Houseago.  If you want to read my post about the exhibit, you can go to my and Amy A's art blog, http://www.artwithamys.blogspot.co.uk/,  but regardless, it was an incredible experience.  It felt great to be in a gallery with other people talking through ideas and thoughts about the artworks right in front of us.  I have a feeling it's going to be a busy year, but I can't wait to see what is to come!

In other news, I watched my first Arsenal match at a London pub on Sunday afternoon.  I found The Tollington just before kickoff and walked in to find the bar packed with Gunner clad paraphernalia yelling and cheering over pints of brew.  Needless to say, it was absolutely the experience I had imagined it would be, and I'm already excited for the next match.

London living is good so far.  New place, new friends, and new school, but it's starting to feel like I'm supposed to be here.  It takes time to settle in to a place, but routine and experience will come and will make the adventure much more enjoyable.

Also, I found a restaurant that sells cows brains if anyone is interested.

Well day two was much better than my first, although I did sleep half of it away.  Despite catching up on some much needed sleep, I still feel like I finished the day strong.  I made my first trip via the tube to Christie's, although I managed to get lost four times before finally finding it.  Maps are much easier to navigate than streets.

I found yet another grocery store, this one much larger and much cheaper and right down the street.  Hooray!  The saddest part of today was trying British peanut butter.  It's no where near as good as American peanut butter and more expensive.  I practically minored in peanut butter consumption in college, and I'm not really sure how to handle this disappointment.

I still have yet to find a pillow, but c'est la vie.  There's always tomorrow.

My favorite part of day was my attempt to do a British codeword puzzle.  Did I finish? Yes.  Did I know that 'Gymkhana,' 'gazumped,' and 'bunglers' are legitimate options for english language word games?  Not at all.  I guess I can say I learned something today.

So you know, the term 'gazumping' describes a situation where the seller of a property verbally agrees to an offer price from a potential buyer, but then either changes the price at the last minute or agrees to sell to a different purchaser for a higher price.  'Gymkhana' is a form of equestrian sport.  Go figure.

Making the Big Leap

Well today I made the jump across the big pond, a journey I can honestly say was impossible to prepare for. Leaving my family and friends this time was entirely different than when I went to college. Rhodes was a new, exciting adventure, and while I am used to being away from my home base, before I always knew in the back of my mind that everything was just a short drive away.

 Not London. It took me over twelve hours of flying and a lot of cumbersome baggage hauling to get here, all to find out that I would spend the entire day (on less than half an hour's sleep) dealing with unruly assistants, complicated bank issues, and technological malfunctions. What a glorious start to my trip.

 PLUS SIDE: I don't have to sleep on the street tonight! My flat is very quaint and quiet, perfect for studying and working, which I should probably start doing again soon. It would be great if I could just Matrix-style lo-jack all of the art and history that I know is still floating around in the back of my brain somewhere. I have a little bedroom and study area to myself and share a kitchen and common room with other students, whom I have yet to have seen.

 Despite the lackluster start of my London life, however, there have been some fun aspects to my first day. I stopped into a Sainsbury for a few essentials, and if you know me, you know I LOVE grocery stores, especially in other countries. Not only do they have fabulous food assortments, figuring out the British colloquialisms for food products is like trying to decipher a foreign language. I gave up on trying to find crackers and peanut butter, but for all of you unaware, cookies are biscuits, chips are crisps, and there is an entire aisle devoted to tea (thank you VCP peeps for preparing me for those lovely Britishisms).

 All in all, things will be good once the primary things are taken care of. Stay tuned for updates on contact information and my fluctuating sanity. I've been awake for around 30 hours at this point, and it's finally getting dark on my side of the world. After a good night's sleep and a brain/emotions recharge, London will be brighter and more appealing for the adventure that is in store for this year.

 Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of this journey so far. I wouldn't be here without you, and I love and miss you all so much already. Hugs and kisses from across the waters!