A Lifetime in 4 Days

After I posted my last blog entry, I couldn't sleep. I was so nervous. A million thoughts were racing through my head and all I want to do was turn them off and sleep. I knew if wasn't going to sleep well, then I was screwed. I tried breathing excrises, relaxing my body from h2t (That's Tyra Banks talk for "Head to Toe"), drinking tea, reading, but nothing seemed to work. I started to watch this show about famous plastic surgeries. That didn't help me sleep at all. By the time I got my wake up call, I knew I had to make due with what little lack of sleep I had.

I quickly got dressed, finished up the rest of my packing and went down stairs to eat breackfest in the pub's dinning room. The dinning room was old fashion and had wooded furnishings every where. There were sayings painted on the wall in this mustard yellow that went well with the dark, wooden walls. An assortment of breakfast food was on a table near a Conner of the room. I took some yogurt, apple juice and a croissant. I was offered tea at my table and I ate my breakfast quickly, trying to stay awake with every gulp of hot tea. After breakfast, I went back upstairs to my room, did one final swipe of the room before I brought all of my bags down stairs. It was hard work carrying two 50 lbs bags down stairs. I started to sweat my make-up off. I just worked off my breakfast.

I went back to check out and the woman at the front desk was very kind. She asked if I had gotten in contact with my Mother. My mom had emailed the Inn when I hadn't responded to her because I couldn't check in. Oh mom... She told me how she was from Florida and hoped I loved studying abroad. I asked her if she could call me a taxi and she. She told me it would take about 5 minutes for the taxi to get there so I should sit and relax. I sat next to the fire in the dinning room and read through some of the newspapers on the table. A lot of it was gossip and people interest stories. It was relaxing.

After a few minutes, I was told my taxi had arrived. I got up and went to get my bags, but one f the staff was there to help me carry them to the taxi. The taxi ride to the school was very nice. The seats where comfy and the music was nice. I tired to relax, but this was hard without falling asleep. When we arrived at Roehampton, we had a difficult time finding the entrance and where to go. I had to ask many people where the to check in but a lot of them didn't know what I was saying. Even though we all spoke English, our accents were hard to make out. I finally came across the check in at Duchesne Building, a glass building that was full of students with suitcases and bags. I ran back to my taxi driver, paid him and dragged my bags back to the building.

When I got back to Duchesne, I got in line to check in and get my keys. After I got that, we were instructed to sit and wait to be taken to our dorms. Since one group had already left, a small group of us were still hanging around. The last group had gotten a bagged lunch but we didn't. Someone found one sitting on the floor and we split it up among ourselves. Some got some sandwich, some got some chips, some got the chocolate bar... It was kind of funny in a way. I was sharing a bag of chips with someone from Australia, Korea and Ireland. If all the worlds Countries just sat down and shared lunch out of a brow paper bag, I think the world would be a different place.

I was then asked by one of the very attractive Student Ambassadors to come with him to my dorm. I followed him down the paths and to a building that looked like normal apartment buildings. I was in section E and on the 3rd floor. The Student Ambassador helped me with my bags up the stairs, although he was sort of a wimp about it. Of course my bags are heavy. I'm living here for 6 months and could only bring two bags. Yours would be heavy too. At the top of the stairs, I opened the door to my flat. My flat was one long hall way with 4 bedrooms, one bathroom and a kitchen area. My room was the closes to he door we had entered. I opened the door to my room and was happy with it. On the left side was a sink with a mirror hanging above it, a lock box, a  comfy blue chair and a bulletin bored. On my right was a closet with lots of space and a bed with a book shelf hanging over it. At the end of my room was a long table/desk with another blue chair and a window with ugly curtains. I liked it a lot. It was cozy and had a lot of potential.

After the student ambassador left, I unpacked everything and set up my computer. I still needed bedding but I had o pick that up later. The school was providing it, according to my Dad. I really wanted to just put my coat down on the bed and sleep. I was so tired. But, I didn't want to sleep on a plan mattress. I grabbed my camera and headed out on an adventure.

The campus is stunning. It's like walking into the Secret Garden. Lots of trees, lakes, birds, fountains, old bridges and buildings... I couldn't believe I was living here. I just spent a good amount of time walking around and trying to take it all in.

After a while, I started to head back to  Duchesne to see if my kitchenware and bedding had come. I looked around at all of the boxes to see if my name was on one, but I couldn't find a box with my name. I asked one of the Student Ambassadors and she introduced me to the head of the Study Abroad department. She then took me to her office, which was through the secret gardens, and we looked up to see if I ordered one: nope. What? We then called my Mom who told me that they didn't order any of it because Dad thought the school provided it. Mom was upset and the Head of the study Abroad Office had to claim her down. After I said bye to mom, the office (possibly for my Mom's sake), gave me a kitchen set and emergency bedding.

"Is there anything else you need, hon?" Asked the head of Study Abroad.

"Um... There's no toilet paper in my bathroom..." This was true. I had went to go use the toilets to find no toilet paper. Maybe the cleaning staff had forgotten to put some in there.

"Oh." She said in a hush voice. "You see, in the United Kingdom, students at University's are excepted to supply their own toilet paper. I can give you some, but just don't tell anyone."

This was the biggest form of Culture Shock I had yet. That is one of the most ridicules things I've ever heard! I'm supposed to share a flat with 3 other people and we have to have our own toilet paper? I understand about living an independent lifestyle, but I paid money to go to school in London! An expensive city! Also, schools aren't cheep! You can't give us toilet paper? She had to sneak toilet paper out of her bathroom and give it to me by putting it in my box of kitchen stuff.

I left the building feeling so tired. My arms felt like jello and all I wanted to do was sleep. I carried the box and bedding to my dorm. I first opened up the kitchen things. It had silverware, a pot, pan, glass cup, coffee cup, potato peeler, cork screw, plate, bowl and a wooden spoon. All very helpful. I then opened the bedding: One pillow, a duvet, a duvet cover a sheet and pillow case. Because the sheet wasn't fitted, I used the duvet as a mattress pad and slept on that and used the sheet and duvet cover has blankets.

I slept not very well that first night. Nothing was open for dinner on campus and there were no places to eat that were opened near by, so I (and from the people I talked to the next morning) didn't eat dinner. I kept on waking up not feeling well and cold. Apparently, everyone had no heat in their rooms. I was freezing and not comfy. I thought this is what homeless people felt like. I'm never going to be homeless.

We all had to be at orientation at 9 am. Everyone was walked to ordination like Zombies, some still Jet Lagged. We were split up into 4 groups and had an hour and forty-five minute presentation on Roehampton, the history of the school, London, school work and so on and so on. I could tell a lot of use just wanted to go back to bed or something. We were all hungry to. On our schedule, it said "Refreshment Break at 10:45." Oh good! Breakfast! Nope. Not even mini muffins. We had tea, coffee and hot coco and that was it. Everyone was upset. We all wanted some sort of breakfast. Isn't this where J. R. R. Tolkon was from? UK? Don't Hobbits have 6 meals a day or something? Nope. At least the hot coco had whipped cream.

After the "No Breakfast",  we went on a group tour of the campus and the libray. It was a big campus and was very old but beautiful. It had a lot of stuff on campus that wasn't at Potsdam. We have a bar. A lot of the 18 year olds got excited about that, telling our tour guide about how they lived on "dry campuses" and how much could they drink.

"As much as you want." Said out Tour Guide who seemed quiet annoyed that he got stuck in a group full of Americans. "Just make sure you have a friend that can pick you up off the floor at the end of the night."

After the tours, we went through registration and got our ID badges. I used a photo I had taken at home for mine. After that, we had a break till 2:30. I went back to my room to Skype my Mom. She missed me. I then went to go have some lunch. Some of the dinning halls had opened so I ate to the one closest to me. It felt really good to get some food in my system.

After that, it was time to head back with the group to talk about "Photo Frenzy." It was a thing set up by Roehamton that forced use to learn how to use the transportation system in London. We were but into groups of 6 and were given clues, a camera and a map. We had to take pictures of what the clues on the maps were by using the transportation around London (Underground, train, bus, cab, walk... No horse and buggy.) After I was but in a group, we formed a plan on what to do and how to get around. I was excited. We were going to see the real London. This is why I came to London.

We then had another break, after that, we all walked to a bus stop and got on a bus to go to Asda, a Walmart sort of place. It was sort of overwhelming. So many people were there and there were lots of food that I had no clue what it was. I grabbed what I could and bedding so I could sleep that night in peace. When I went to check out, I learned that we had to bag our stuff ourselves. Clearly, I did not get my Mother's Piggly-Wiggly bagging skills. I held up the line! It was bad.

After I got back to my dorm, I set up my bed and tried to sleep for Photo Frenzy. To help, I put on a book on tape thanks to Youtube and feel asleep. I woke up early then I planed and got ready to meet my group at 10.

Lets just say that Photo Frenzy was one of the best days o my life. We got on 5 minute bus ride to the train station n Barns and then a 10 minute train ride into London, After that, we went all over: London Bridge, TATE, Millennium  Bridge, St. Paul's,  Trafalgar Square,  Piccadilly Circus, The Prime Minsters House, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Tower of London, The London Eye and so much more! We ate lunch in a pub that was so old. It would have been better if they weren't playing American Music (When we left, they did play One Direction... But come on!) It was an exuding but fun day and I made friends with people in my group. 

I wet back to Asda after we turned in our cameras to get more things and then I came back and went to bed. Today was a total relaxation day for me. I did nothing. I didn't have to do anything so it was nice just stay in bed, read, sleep, watch Doctor Who, listen to music. I wanted to go back to London, but I will when I get an Oyster card tomorrow. So much has happened in 4 days that I can't believe that I could put it in one blog post! Now it's off to bed. Class is at 1 tomorrow and I don't want to be late! Wish me luck! 

Defy Gravity
Melanie