Ok, I know that the Duke of Wellington isn't a British writer or character. Sorry. But it only seemed fitting since I'm living in the Wellington wing of my floor in The Crofton. That's right, people. I've arrived. After 7 hours crammed into a very small seat, lugging my two enormous suitcases through up and down the labyrinthine halls of my building, and unpacking-only to discover that I left my laundry bag at home, my converters didn't work, and my suitcase is broken, I made it to London. Trust me, it was all worth it.
Having been here for a just over 24 hours, I have already learned plenty about the city. For instance: don't tip, especially not the cab drivers. They have a very prestigious job and get payed a ton for what they do, so paying extra is an insult. Also, check your converters before you leave. I discovered just how many different plugs exist in the world as I scoured the internet for a place to find a USA to UK converter. If you're wondering how many there are, the answer is simply too many.
But general initial observations have simply been that the people here are so far extremely nice and generally patient with us confused Americans (Why would you look through an enormous catalogue to find what you're looking for while you're in the store? It still doesn't make sense to me). I enjoyed my first pint a nearby pub called The Gloucester Arms and am headed off on a boat tour tomorrow afternoon, which may be freezing but possibly very enjoyable.
If you're wondering who the Duke of Wellington is, I can tell you plenty about him, since his portrait looms over me in the kitchen. I learned this afternoon, as I ate me very "eclectic" lunch of grapes, turkey on tortillas, and brie, that the Duke of Wellington was a famous war hero during the 19th century. He is famous for saying "All the business of war, and indeed all the business of life, is to endeavor to find out what you don't know by what you do; that's what I called 'guessing what was at the other side of the hill.' I suppose I kind of relate to this sentiment. While it may not be war I'm heading into, I can only guess what lies ahead of me. But all I've wanted to do since the moment I saw the snow covered fields of England out of the porthole of the plane is...everything. I want to see and do and conquer as much as I possibly can while I'm here. And with Wellington's same desire to find out what's out there that I haven't seen, I'm sure it won't be a problem.
Cheers all.
PS Fun fact about the Duke of Wellington- He is attributed as having said of Parliament: "I never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life". Thought that was amusing and worth sharing with whoever is reading this. Now for photos:
Megan, Allie, and myself at the pub.
There will be more, I promise.
You sound like your from London.
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