Hey,

I am in London, after hours of flying. It is amazing. The airport is plain (it's not Heathrow-the major one) but it works and my bag is here. I had quite a hard time figuring out where I had to go. With a paper fron TFL (Transport for London) telling me the final address, and seeking out people in neon colored garbs, no one was able to help me, but a 16-year-old girl directing be back where I came from and giving me a series of "left right left right right" signals.

My flight got in at 7:40-ish in the morning, after flying in an Airbus 330 (amazing plane) and personalized low-fat meals (first dibs is pretty cool). And got through customs pretty easily. My journey had just begun to get to where I had to get to andmake it there alive. I bought a £10 train ticket that took me to London Bridge station from Gatwick Airport. I took pictures, I was a tourist amazed with the trains (never rode one before), and was amazed to see London houses and London buildings and London grocery stores and CARS...

Confused and with a heavy bag, I got on the train and tried to not look miserable. From then I asked someone how to get to Eltham, in the Burough of Greenwich, and got on the train to New Eltham. Once dragging my suitcase up stairs and down more stairs, I came to the point where I did not know which way on a four-way road to go. I asked someone and they directed me to the college campus... he said " a five minute walk"... fifteen minutes later I lost hope and asked someone else, and she said it was right up ahead and it was... thank goodness.

To the guy's defense, I did stop at a convenience store to purchase a sim card (£4.50), that I kinda used a little.

Once I got to the campus, I had no idea where to go. I was dragging my luggage and trying to find housing. I went to the Student Resource Office and she told me another "left right left left" combination that was skewed because of construction blocking my way. I ended up being led there by a guy who told me that I wasn't supposed to go this way that I could get him in trouble. I certainly thought so because it was an eating area closed from the student villages (dorms). I went to the main reception of Aragon Court and waited as the kind Brit lady handed me my keys and led to to the Flat (it's what the British call apartments) at 1:00pm (they use military time, so 15:00).

I reside in room 8G (Orange dot on the map on the side). At the very top, 50 stairs, no elevators dragging up the luggage. I said hi to Julia and Dorthya and her mum, and then I went to the student office and used the computer.

Now it is time for me to sleep. I don't understand Jet Lag yet, but I know I will soon.

Total travel time: 4 hours to the flat leaving the airport at 9:00am.

I'll write tomorrow.

Cheers!

-Sara