HERE! (Update of Me On The Road To Harlaxton)

This was in O'Hare, waiting for the plane.




This was on the plane waiting to leave the ground.




In Heathrow, waiting for the bus.




This was still in Heathrow, looking around at the signs.




Brit equivalent of "YIELD."




The wrong side of the road? Not to these people.




Carriage House where I live.



Manor House.







Thursday Night

I am on the plane, writing this entry. I survived customs and I survived security (which didn’t find the 4.6 ounce toothpaste that blatantly defied the 3 ounce limit-I’m still waiting to find out if the maple syrup in my checked luggage survived the same)

I also survived takeoff which, as Mom said it would, made me feel like the plane was falling apart, but we’re still up here so I guess we didn’t.

Meanwhile, the plane is coasting high above Lake Michigan, but we might be past that now. I haven’t been paying attention very well. There are still lights down there below us.

We’ll arrive in London at the equivalent of 3 in the morning Central Time, meaning I’m going to be sleeping on the plane because otherwise I’ll be mostly incoherent.

I am still terrified of completely missing the bus to Harlaxton but with so many people I am beginning to doubt I will. Famous. Last. Words.

It’s really kind of quiet up here. We’re all exhausted. I got into the airport at 11ish this morning, sat around waiting till about 3-something, then I went through the airplane counter thing, checked in my checked baggage stuff, and headed over to security. We (meaning the entire planeload going to England) stood about an HOUR AND A HALF and were thrown through at speeds never before seen by man (I had barely flung my shoes into the bin before it went flying through security, along with my coat and backpack) and then SAT for another hour and a half waiting for the plane to A) show up and B) get whatever technical difficulties it was having over with. Then we sat about another 45 minutes on the tarmac because there was ice on the wings from all the waiting around they’d been doing.

You would think, after all of this waiting, standing, waiting, flinging shoes into bins, and waiting some more, that we WOULD be a little tired. Damn right.

Nothing much more to say; I have a massive headache and I think I’m going to close my eyes for a while and rest them.

Cheers,
Bec

Early Friday Where I Am

I have slept a couple of hours, as most people have, I think, which is why we all seem a bit more perky this morning.

Despite the stories I’ve heard about airplane food, I actually liked it very much. I had some fruit stuff, cheese, spaghetti, crackers, water in a container…it was all very nice. This morning I’m having water and a breakfast bar which wasn’t bad either.
The sky is getting light over the edge of the horizon and the plane is yet again shaking from turbulence. Am still freaking out just a tad every time this happens; thinking the plane is going down in the water.

I can’t figure it out yet, but there’s land off to the side of us and I can’t figure out what piece of land it is. I just know ocean doesn’t have that many bumps.

NOTE FROM LATER: I found out when the light came up a bit that those were clouds and we were far above them. They looked like you could walk on them.

The turbulence is pretty bad at the moment, and since I’m sitting just behind the wings it’s a little terrifying to see them shake up and down with the movement of the plane.

Will be there soon; about another hour. I might actually see Ireland in the daylight…

Cheers,
Bec

Later On Friday

I made it to the bus alive, but only because I stuck with the Orange Tag Posse and we stood awhile again, first in the UK border place where they make sure you’re not some illegal trying to get in, second in the baggage claim where we found our bags quite easily but weren’t sure where to go next, and thirdly in the Meeting Place, waiting for the bus to show up.

I am sitting on the bus typing this. It’s foggy-cloudy: exactly what I expected of London. The signs are weird, the weather’s quite warm, and THERE IS NO SNOW. This is a bonus, in case you’re wondering.

Phil the driver just told us “he’s got the fridge on” so we’re going to get colder-it’s a bit hot and stuffy in here. We are apparently waiting for three poor souls who are somewhere between Terminal 3 and 4 but nobody is sure where they are.

Minutes later, we found them and started the three hour ride north to Grantham. We made it here sometime this afternoon and we are all exhausted. This place, as evidenced by the pictures, is just plain wow.

I will write more when my brain is going to let me.

Cheers,
Bec