Hey everyone! This is my first entry, and I'll soon have a short video to go along with it..

Well my first day was LONG... i mean really long. I land in Heathrow airport at 6:00 am after a 7 hour flight from Chicago. I'm running on two hours of sleep and after running through baggage claim and customs, I come to find that my professor, who claimed that she'd be there to greet me, was MIA. So I walk around this congested waiting area of the airport, where people are crammed in like sardines. I realized that I overpacked when I couldn't fit my luggage throught the line... ach-hem... I mean CUE... to get to the "Information" desk. After I have them call for Dr. Mason over the loudspeaker, I stand in place for about half an hour. When I realize she's not coming, I again fight my way through this packed waiting area, searching for her.

After another hour passes, I decide to wait for Allie, because her flight was supposed to come in within the next 2 hours. So there I sit... it's now 10:00... I've managed to spill HOT authentic london tea all over myself (it turned out to be Lipton tea anyways), break my sunglasses, and bust off the strap to my wristwatch. Not a good start to my trip.

So since I no longer have an escort, I leave at 10:00 and head for a train that will take me to the train station nearest to my school. From there I took this crazy taxi cab, which was the greatest part of my day... it was the first time I saw London outside an airport... tiny streets, tiny cars, giant double decker buses, and a cab driver that sat on the right side of the car and called me "mate." Well... long story short, he dropped me off, and I walked around london for another hour on the poor advice of two taxi drivers until I finally reached my destination. I was pouring sweat.

Well after all that happened, we went an saw a Shakespeare production at the new Globe Theatre. However, all us weary travelers had to leave at intermission because we had to stand the whole time and our feet were on fire. It's 3:00 in the morning right now and they still are killing me.

Then we went the wrong way on a bus, and ended up taking a 2 hour tour of london via double decker bus. We grabbed a late dinner at this place near our dorm. I had fish n chips and a Carlsburg beer. Whether or not it was my extreme hunger or exhaustion, it was probably the best thing I ever tasted.

So that was day 1. Let's hope the next entry provides some better stories.