I'm heeeere!!

Greetings from London! I arrived in England at 6 am, London time (6 hours ahead of Mississippi time). It was sad saying goodbye to my family at the airport, but Claire surprised me and came home to see me off, so that made me feel better. My flight was great, and I got to the hostel without any problems, considering that each of my suitcases were at least 100 pounds each. :) People were really nice and stopped to help me carry the suitcases up the stairs, on the train, and into my cab! It is so fun being back in London! It's exactly the way I left it. It was really nice to already know my way around! The weather is perfect, 70 degrees and sunny. After I checked into my hostel, which is in Notting Hill, I roamed around and saw some of my favorite sites...Big Ben, the London Eye ferris wheel, the River Thames, and Covent Garden. The fashion here is a little different than in the U.S., most girls are wearing the layered, hobo, Sienna Miller/Mary Kate Olsen look. (That's the only way I can think to describe it!) The girls wear flats, wide belts, peasant skirts, boleros and little ponchos, and (gasp!) I've even seen some tapered leg jeans. I hear those are coming back in style, but I sure hope not! Most guys have been dressed nice, wearing suits and pastel colored ties, and they usually have their hair gelled. When I went to the chemist (drug store), I saw little cans of Coca Cola Mini Breaks, which I've never seen in the U.S. It's Diet Coke in cans the exact size of a Red Bull can. They're really cute! Everything is a little bit more expensive here than in the U.S., but I guess I'll have to get used to that. I'm very VERY tired from my flight, so I've been walking around like a zombie today...I hope I haven't scared anyone! Haha! I did treat myself to a Mocha Frescato from Costa Coffee Company (to the people who love frappachinos, these are WAY better than anything Starbucks makes!), and I've been stopping at Starbucks (there's one on practically every corner!) to grab an espresso. London is the coolest place ever, and I'm so ready for Tools to get here, b/c it's a little different being here by myself! I sure do miss everyone, and I hope everyone can come see me! Below are some pictures that I took today of Big Ben, a view of the London cityscape from the Thames, and the double decker buses along the Strand (a major shopping area in London). So far, I haven't seen Prince William or the Queen, but I'm on the lookout! :)




Continued hours later...
Well, it's eight o'clock here, and I'm about to go find something yummy to eat! Due to my jet lag, I forgot to mention a few important things about London. First of all, the McDonald's here have a new flavor of McFlurry...Dairy Milk Delight! Dairy Milk bars are made by Cadbury (Nestle isn't very big here), and they are absolutely delicious! (Ash, Laur, Mar...that's the candy bar I brought back for y'all last summer). Also, the pigeons here are OUT OF CONTROL! They are very domesticated, so they fly at people's heads and don't give it a second thought. It's very scary. When I checked into my hostel today (it's very nice!), they gave me a complimentary coupon to Kentucky Fried Chicken! I was like, Are you serious?! Haha! The only American chains that are in England are McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, and Pizza Hut. But the McDonald's here are so much nicer than back home. They have internet cafes, and some serve doughnuts and cappucinos! I've really enjoyed seeing the sights in London...it's so neat because you'll see this beautiful house that was built in the 1500s, and beside it is a cell phone store or Starbucks! It's cool how they mix the old with the new. I went to Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace (where Prince Charles, William, and Harry live), but sadly no royal sightings! I want to thank everyone for their prayers! There have been so many times today (safe flight, nice people, no problems with passport/visa) where I can definitely tell that I have people back home praying for me! It's so neat being here and getting to see another part of God's beautiful creation! Tomorrow I'm picking up Tools at the train station, and we're going to see if we can make one of the Beefeaters (the guards with the tall furry black hats who aren't allowed to speak) laugh! Knowing Tools, we may just have a shot. :) I miss everyone! Thanks for the messages and emails!