Dispatch from London: Week One

 "What was I doing here alone in great London? What should I do on the morrow? What prospects had I in life? What friends had I on earth? Whence did I come? Whither should I go? What should I do?"~Villette

That quote may be a bit dramatic, but I've identified with it more than once this week. A three month trip abroad is all well and good  in theory until one day you're at the airport saying goodbye to people you won't see for weeks on end. I know though that the beginning is the hardest part, but that is also what makes it an adventure. 

I've only been here a few days but have already learned some new things about myself, namely that I cannot sleep in a room with 14 other people. I know, I know, I have nothing to complain about. But still, between the jetlag, a cold that I think was brought on by pre-trip stress, and four hours of sleep a night max, I've been pretty worn out. Nonetheless, I've still managed to log  a decent amount of sightseeing in each day. Of course, at the end of it I'm ready for bed (not that anyone around here let's me sleep). Tomorrow I'll stay in the housesitting  house which is lovely and hopefully I'll be back to normal by Sunday. In the meantime, here are some thoughts and photos:

~Oh last week's Emily, there is so much I want to tell you, so many things you need to be warned of, like B.O. so strong that it can be smelt from across a hostel dorm room--even through the privacy curtains. And you think you're tired now? Just wait...

~I started the week with a visit to the Museum of London, which was very interesting and free. I learnt all about the origins of London, the fall of the Roman empire, the devastation wrought by the Black Death and the fire of 1666, and I saw this amazing hat from an exhibit on the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens:

Screw the 90s, this is the kind of fashion that needs to make a comeback!

~Imagine cooking in this ancient Roman kitchen. Or rather, imagine your indentured servant doing the cooking.

~The museum is right around the remains of the old Londinium wall built by the Romans. There's something to be said here about the intersection of modern life and antiquity by someone much more clever than myself.

~London smells the same, not in a bad way and it wasn't something I remembered until I started walking around, but it definitely has a distinctive scent all it's own. Like they say, scent is the strongest link to memory.

~I've been walking far too much, but I can't help it. There is something to see seemingly on every street. Just one more block, I'll tell myself. Ok, now just one more. One more. My feet and hips will be happy for a day or two of rest. Of course, when I get shots like these of Saint Paul's, it's all worth it:

~This city is still shockingly expensive. I've probably spent 30 GBP on the tube alone and I've only used it twice a day. That's also without going to any of the expensive touristy places, i.e. The Tower, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, etc. Instead, I've mostly stuck to free things like Regent's Park and walking along the Thames. Even still, the great travelcard vs oyster card debate seems to have been settled. Once James comes and we hit all the sites in central London, we'll both have to get travelcards.  

~There really is nothing like an English cuppa. I don't know if it's the water or the tea bags, but either way I can't replicate it back home so I'll have to enjoy it while I'm here. 

~I've been telling James about the Brit's obsession with sandwiches for weeks now ("And the sandwiches, so many different kinds! Ones you've never even dreamed of!") But really, I think this picture says more than I ever could: 

~On that note, I'm very much looking forward to having a kitchen to cook in. The food at the hostel wasn't half bad and pretty cheap but the menu was limited. I went to the corner store yesterday and got some snacks to mix things up a bit:

I demand to know why Kit Kat is keeping Chunky peanut butter out of the states!