London

Ciao! From Rome! I have made it to my first destination and doing very well. I would like this blog to be a place where you can get short windows into my travels, but not necessarily the complete chronicles. So before I begin telling you about monuments and customs, know that I am sharing just a few of my impressions and experiences. The day-to-day things I may leave out because..well…they’re just day-to-day and what fun is that?

That being said, here are a few cultural tips I picked up during my travels thus far…..
When in England, a "lift" is an elevator. But when you say it with a British accent, it sounds like "left." So if you get directions in England and someone tells you to "go to the left," look for an elevator. That caused me some trouble in the airport.

You wanna know what helped me to avoid further language (because, yes, it is a different language over there.) problems? Thinking in a British accent. It sounds silly, but when I arrived in London, I really couldn’t help myself from doing it. I considered speaking in their accent just to avoid them asking me for clarification every time I said, "Where is the restroom?" instead of, "Hullo, cood yu point mey toword the toilet?" Then images of tea flavored bay water and red coats marched through my mind and I figured I shouldn’t. Although, abroad, a British voice sounds a bit like home. Speaking English is close to American.
I will give you a short run-down of how I made it to Rome (emphasis on short)…

Left Seattle Wednesday evening and flew to London by noon Thursday. Spent a few hours in London. Left for Stuttgart (Germany) that evening. Spent the night in the airport and left the following morning for Prague and then down to Rome. (A note on sleeping in the airport because even an ocean away, I heard half of you gasp for my safety. Yes, it was well lit. Yes, my baggage was locked up and tied to my person or the bench. And, yes, it was in a place where there were plenty of people walking around. Most of these factors contributed to my only sleeping about four hours, but worth it I suppose.)

London was amazing. When I emerged from the dark and dirty underground Tube, I was stunned still. I was in London. When you travel alone, it is much different than with a group. Not only do you learn a lot more about how to travel because you have to do it all yourself, but wherever you go it’s like you get closer to the people and places. In a group, you feel like an outsider because you still have a piece of safe, secure home with you. But by yourself, you are forced to take part in the world around you and you can touch the culture instead of just look at it. I highly suggest it.

However, when touching the cultures around you, make sure to wear kid gloves. I got a curt lecture from one London shopkeeper for not asking for help in finding a hat. I suppose not accepting his twice offered help was offensive. I’ve learned how to follow the lead of those around me.

So, that’s a bit of London and my general travels. Enjoy the pictures. If my postings sound out of order, it’s because I am catching you up on half a week of events in one shot at internet connection. Ciao, Ciao!