It is official. I am a student abroad, not longer just a student who is a broad. It is safe to say that I am pushing the limits of sleep deprived brain function. Today has been a whirlwind, but I’ll try to bring you up to speed…
Check-in and security at SeaTac were a breeze, which caught me rather off guard. I was checked in with over an hour and a half to spare. I took this time to update my ipod and play pinball on my computer.
The flight to Chicago was also agreeable. I got a snack and a quick nap. However, we were promised in in-flight showing of Made of Honor and an in-flight showing we did not get. I watched an episode of The Office and then relied upon my ipod as entertainment for the duration.
Chicago was a nightmare!!! I had about an hour to catch my connecting flight to Manchester. This hour included a half mile walk to the Airport train, leaving the secured area, getting rechecked, and scampering to the gate furthest from security. I barely managed to take in a powder break before the plane took off.
The flight was not as long as I anticipated—just 7 hours. In that time I took in North by Northwest, Old School, and [drum roll] Made of Honor!! For the record, this movie was not as bad as I anticipated—it was worse.
Upon landing in Manchester United, I was overtaken by an overwhelming awareness of what has bee termed “divided by a common language.” The wordage on signs here is a bit confusing. An example: I followed many signs that said “transfer” hoping this would take me to my connecting flight. It did. This included yet another trip through security and a very thorough pat down. One of the agents escorted us to the terminal we needed to be in and prefaced it by saying, it’s a bit of a walk. This was a perfect example of British humor. I might use that phrase to sarcastically describe a short walk. He used to literally describe what was a very long walk though one of the most chaotic airports I have ever been in, in my life. There was one funny thing that happened on our lengthy stroll. A man made an announcement and our escort asked if we understood a single world he said. I admitted that it sounded a bit garbled. He said the man was from Edinburgh and that they are supposed to speak very good English. Then he balked. The was this man carried himself and spoke reminded me of EuroLound (Owl and Acorn’s hubby). Are all bloques like this or did I meet EuroLound of the future?
I’ll ponder this while I wait for the gate announcement for the last leg of my journey. One thing is for sure, I’m going to try to arrange a direct flight for the way home. This whole process is bordering on ridiculous!!!
Stay tuned…PHOTOS COMING SOON...
. Today she took NotSerena and me out to explore more of our temporary home, København.
Our ultimate goal of the day was to see Freetown Christiania, and we succeeded. This is a destination for many tourists, but not in an obnoxious way. There were many cafes and people enjoying the fare. We didn't happen to stop anywhere, because we are trying to save as much of our kroner as possible. I stopped at a quaint junk stop that had on display antique cigarette lighters, candle holders, and the like. Around every corner there was the faint smell of burning marijuana and the sound of adults and children chattering in a tongue foreign to my ear. There were murals and graffiti galore. Maybe I am still under the influence of Denmark's intoxicating charm, but everything I saw today looked like a work of art perfectly executed with my fancies and discriminations in mind. I am sure I will get over this and learn to be inconvenienced by all of the roses I stopped to smell today. However, I will relish in my current level of contentment until the moment passes.
