Well...I survived the packing and repacking and made it to the airport with a tolerable amount of luggage. My backpack weighed in at 38 pounds and my carry on probably weighed about the same. My daughter, Karolyn, drove me to the airport in Wichita, we said our goodbyes, and I headed for check-in. Of course, I set off the medal detector! No amount of clothing removal helped...so...I stood for the complementary public pat down! I have to comment on the Wichita airport. It was clean with very friendly staff...and no long lines or crowds! I flew out of Wichita because it was cheaper, but I will definitely consider it again.
My first tears of the trip came when the plane lifted off out of Atlanta headed for London. I couldn't quit smiling and there was no way I could go to sleep! The second tears of my trip came when I woke up Thursday morning, looked out the window of the plane and saw the green and brown patchwork of farmland below. I was flying over England! Something I have dreamed of since I was a teenager was finally happening. I couldn't believe it...I was really doing it! I worked hard to make this trip a reality...and it is finally here.
After landing in London and making my way through customs, I was greeted by a driver holding a card with my name on it. That was a first for me and I appreciate Liam Sweeting and Daley Grace for making those arrangements. I would have been lost trying to navigate London on my own as soon as I got there. The drive was about an hour and I got to see many different boroughs of London and I experienced my first roundabout as well.
I arrived at Liam and Daley's flat and I immediately knew why they like living there. It is charming. They live on a high street, which is basically what we call a main street or downtown. Everything you could want is just across the street. It was a wonderful experience to stay in their flat and I couldn't have asked for better hosts and tour guides! Daley mentioned she would like to run a Bed and Breakfast, and she is definitely suited to do just that. While in their home, I enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast every morning and dinner most nights. On my last morning there, she cooked a full English breakfast of bacon, sausages, beans, toast, tomatoes with mushrooms, and hot tea. It was wonderful! In case you are surprised by the beans....the English eat beans for breakfast like we eat potatoes.
I had the perfect blend of the tourist experience and the local experience in London. I especially liked shopping in the neighborhood market. Some brands were familiar and are commonly available in the United States, but many were new to me. There were also many foods that I had not seen before. We spent the next three and a half days catching trains, running through boroughs, and seeing some amazing parts of London. It is impossible to say what my favorite thing was in London, but I really enjoyed seeing the Borough Market! I also loved the view from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral. It was worth the climb! London is a wonderful mix of new and old architecture. The two often sit right across the street from each other. I have heard some criticism for that, but I thought it was a wonderful reflection on how London is growing.
We did so many things in a short period of time and it was marvelous. My senses were constantly on overload.
Things I learned while in London: you turn the electrical outlets off and on with switches, public toilets often cost and they are extremely narrow, you have to be determined and focused when getting on or off the London trains, the black and white striped areas in the streets are crosswalks and pedestrians are given the right of way, "high street" is basically the same as our downtown area, you can live in London and never see everything there is to see, I really like Digestive cookies (shame on you Daley for introducing those to me!), the English drink their tea with milk and often sugar (often brown sugar), I like English lemonade, and it is chaos when they announce the platform number for the train...do not hesitate or mess around or you will not make in to the train in time....they mean business!
One of the obvious differences in Oklahoma and the United Kingdom....the streets and roads are relatively straight and square in Perry and Oklahoma. That is not the case in the U.K. The roads and streets meander and curve every way imaginable. Thankfully, I have a good sense of direction, but I have still gotten lost a few times. And...there was the time I found myself going the wrong way on a one-way street. That happened in Penrith, England, right after I picked up my rental car. It had nothing to do with driving on a particular side of the road...I just didn't see the sign and went the wrong way. The nice man, who I accidentally played chicken with, was very helpful and even came to the guest house where I was staying to give me a parking disc. That was interesting....in Penrith, you must have a parking disc to put on your dashboard. Most parking is limited to 2 hours. You set the time on your cardboard disc and put in on the dash. Then you have to move your car and reset the disc when the two hours is up. That was annoying, but my host told me when they check the areas around the guest house so I just concentrated on those times.
I have been very blessed on my trip by helpful people. Of course, my British friends have helped me. But, I have been surprised by the large number of people who have offered advice or wisdom without being asked...they felt that they could help and they did. In Penrith, a young lady helped me carry my bags and helped me locate the list of taxis after I told her I planned to walk to my guest house. (I am really glad I took the taxi!) I have already mentioned the man who gave me the parking disc and made sure I was alright ( he thought I parked where I did because I was upset...actually, it was right in front of the guest house where I was staying). There was the young woman at the rental car company who let me get a feel for the car in their large parking lot before taking it out on the road. And the two photographers who taught my workshops offered wonderful advice for routes to take when driving and places to eat. And I can't forget Fiona, my host on the Isle of Skye, who shared wonderful information yesterday about the area surrounding Fossil Cottage and things to do on the island.
I think one of the biggest revelations I have had on this trip is something I thought about before I left, but it has hit me full force in the last weeks. We really do not see what is available around us in our own town and state! We get complacent and consider it mundane. At least I do. We need to look at our surroundings with fresh eyes, as if we are seeing them for the first time. We need to see our surroundings as a tourist would see them. I have spend hours upon hours planning this trip, but I haven't given nearly as much thought to what is available in my own town or state. A goal for when I get home is to look at my surroundings with the eyes of a tourist...to see the things I have been missing,..to renew my appreciation for the wonderful things I have in my life. Yes, I want to return to the UK....that is a given. But, I need to focus on learning more about and seeing more of the things I don't really see around me at home.
