I’ve been in London a little over a week, and I saw my first break of Sun! It’s been hiding behind clouds this entire time, letting out flakes of snow or drops of rain sporadically. And despite the crumby weather, my time here so far could not have gone by any faster or been better. It has been a whirlwind of settling in, running errands, meeting new friends, and yes of course, a few visits to the pub.

My adventure began last Thursday. Arriving at SEA-TAC, I lugged my two suitcases and 2 backpacks toward check-in. After weighing my suitcases, the United employee informed my I owed $200 for the bags. $50 for one, and $150 for a slightly overweight bag. Tip: weigh your bags before you go abroad, or don’t check at all! They need to be under 50 lb.  Otherwise you’ll be docked an extra $100. My second flight landed at 11am, dropping me off jet lagged, with no phone service, and 2 terminals away from my meeting point. Tip: check with your phone provider before you leave to make sure you’ll at least get some coverage.  The adventure had already began. I exchanged the last greenbacks in my pocket for the much more colorful British bills. Customs could not have been easier, and after trudging through the terminals, I found my group and was shuttled off to Queen Mary University of London.

Once I had my room key, it didn’t take long for me to realize I had neither electricity, nor internet access. Going off only rumors of a phone shop, I jumped on the underground. With their zippy and extensive underground trains, combined with buses and some other systems, London is a city where a car is more of a burden than a privilege. Check out my blog entry on London’s roads.

Determined to continue using my iPhone, I got a SIM card pay-as-you-go. I was initially told it should work, but to no avail. So after a long night, I was able to jailbreak and unlock it. Now for just £15 per month, I get unlimited texts & internet. Look for my blog entry on how to get your phone jailbroken & unlocked.

So now equipped with a phone, an Oyster card (for the underground & buses), I am ready to explore London. So far, I’ve only visited the Imperial War Museum. It was incredible how many artifacts from the wars they had, as well as The Holocaust Exhibit. Next on my list is the Natural History Museum.