A Learning Curve

No luck getting to sleep tonight yet. So . . . some random thoughts about a few things I'm better at now than I was even yesterday:

• Paying in pounds and pence without looking helpless
• Finding locations on campus without taking the long way or getting completely lost
  
• Speeding around curves in a taxi without panicking because another car is coming down the side of the road I think we should be on
• Walking down sidewalks and stairs on the left side
• Knowing classmates’ names and stories
• Drinking instant coffee or none at all
• Walking, walking, walking everywhere
• Writing the day before the month
• Ordering pints or half pints of beers I’ve never heard of
• Remembering to say: “toilet” instead of “bathroom”; “single” or “return” instead of “one-way” or “round trip”; “ring” instead of “call”; and “whiz around” “straight away” and such!
• Actually answering my rented international cell phone in time before calls go to voice mail, which I don’t yet know how to access

Six Hours & An Ocean

Today I'm six hours ahead and an ocean away. How unique to experience living the day before my loved ones.

Arrived in Manchester, England early this morning after a smooth seven-hour dinner, movie, and nap at 33,000 feet. Verdant, moist countryside greeted our hour and a half train trip to Lancaster, then a taxi ride to the university where we checked into our rooms. And soon we were trekking across campus to a two-hour orientation session, followed by technology set up, a walking tour of campus, a stop at a pub for well, several beers, a pizza, a stop at the campus store, and a walk back to our rooms.

All of which makes every one of us really, really tired now at 8:30 p.m. And even though the sun is still up we're calling it a day! Actually, quite a day!

Good night!

Happy-But-Tired-Traveler, N.