the final London post

So………………. my room is in complete chaos at the moment. I have to find some way of fitting everything I brought over plus everything I purchased here into two big suitcases plus 1 carry-on. Apparently the UK is more paranoid (yeah, impossible right?) than the US about bringing stuff on planes and you can only have one carry-on item. Which means….. I have this backpacking backpack that I need to fit into my suitcases along with all my other isht, or I have to try and cram my laptop bag into the backpack. Either way Im really not looking forward to the whole process and most definitely do not want to pay the 140 buckeroos to check my backpack as a third piece of luggage. Hells no. I might have to fork over some cash ($14/kg) because my bags are over the weight limit, but it wont be anywhere near $140. Hopefully.

Yesterday was the big IES fairwell. They bought us tickets to the Hyde Park ice-carnival skating rink and a couple glasses of mulled wine afterwards. This was a little comical as the ice rink was (like everything here) much too small for the amount of people on it and they made you wear these ridiculous hunter-orange plastic ice-skates that didnt really tighten correctly so everyone is skating around with their ankles wobbling…. I fell once, a little kid decided to cut me off and stop right in front. Gr… My butt is a little sore still, not only from the fall, but from trying to stay relatively balanced for 45 minutes in those terrible skates. It was fun though and Im glad they did it for us. We milled about for a good hour afterwards, talking with people and saying some awkward goodbyes to people that were leaving this morning. Its a bit strange, this whole disembarkment process, as there are so many kids on this program that I have a kind of middling aquaintance-ship with, but not quite enough to justify a full blown goodbye. But then it happens anyway and its awkward because you both realize that you didnt spend anytime together and maybe should have, but now its too late and…. and….. yeah. There are a few people Im going to be very sad to say goodbye too, but for the most part – it was only 3.5 months guys, give me a break.

Tonight a bunch of us are going out to “Chew the Fat” @ The End, Layo + Bushwacka’s club. The sound system in this place is supposed to be one of the best and most audibly safe in all of London – the club itself was designed around the system, not the other way around. Very cool. Im excited because a few kids are coming for their very first time (fitting, yeah I know, at the very tail end of the semester) and it should be a good one. Im slowly switching my sleep schedule around, last night I went to bed at 5 AM, tonight I hope to fall asleep around 7 or 8 AM, and then Saturday night, Ill just stay up all night until my flight at 8:45 AM and sleep the roughly (hm 8:45 AM – 3:45 PM, minus an 8 hour time difference = i have no idea) long, long time in the air and sitting in Chicago away. Thats the hope anyway. Im probably going to be absolutely miserable when we get to Seattle, but maybe that will help me readjust to the time switch, maybe.

After the winter-carnival thing a bunch of us IES students went out to dinner at a wonderfully cheap and tasty Chinese/pan-asian restaurant near Fulham Broadway. I couldnt believe that I had a full meal for less than 10 pounds – quite an anomaly in this city. Later we went to a bar down the street called The Trafalgar where I splurged a little bit and got a couple amazing organic ciders… mmm.

Today is for tying up lose ends and getting all my isht in order. I have to be out of the room by 10 AM tomorrow morning, but luckily Lauren’s mom paid for her to have another night in the dorms so tomorrow night will be a nice little slumber party for homeless Tacomites. Its strange to think I will be leaving this place in less than 36 hours – its amazing how fast you become comfortable in a new environ. I cant say that London has grown on me to the point of loving it, but I definitely understand the city and British culture in general a lot better now. Its going to be nice though to look out my window and not see people every once in a while…. that and sleeping without earplugs. Yes, indeed.

Well, I guess this is it then. See you on the other side I cant wait!