First week in London

The Water Lily House

Kew Palace

The Tree Walk at Kew Gardens

One of the greenhouses at Kew Gardens

Grandma and I at Big Ben

Meg and I at the airport on my last day in the States

Hey everyone! So sorry I've been lazy about posting, it was actually intentional b/c I was miserable and I didn't want to give you the wrong impression. I spent the last week looking for a flat which turned out to be one of the most exhausting experiences of my life. They told me that the market here was tight, but wow! Viewing a flat was like going to a job interview. It had me so stressed out I got this terrible cramp in my neck that hurt so badly I couldn't even move my head. I want to live with some flatmates, so we would always sit down to get to know each other a bit, and then if I liked it I was left hanging until they made a decision. The first one I viewed I loved but was in a little bit of a dodgy area (hang with me on the lingo here, I have to try to assimilate), and they didn't pick me [devastation!!]. Maybe it was b/c I was moving like a robot when I met them b/c my neck hurt so bad that I had to move my entire body to turn around. Then others that we looked at were never quite right. But, my grandma said that something better would come along and was she ever right. The flat that finally worked out is in St. John's Wood, a very quaint, quiet, and posh (eh-hem) area of London that is two blocks away from Regent's Park, one of London's largest parks. I have two roomies (flatties?) - Dasha, a Russian attorney in her late 20s who has lived in London for 12 years, and Andrea, another attorney (this one Mexican-Italian) who just turned 30 and has spent his life in London and Mexico. They are very cool and I can't wait to get to know them better. They really seem like potential friends which is exactly what I was looking for since I have, um, zero in London right now. Well I take that back, I have one, more later. So I now have an adorable place which has room for all of you to come visit (we've already discussed buying an air matress b/c they have friends come to stay quite often as well). So the dreaded flathunt is done, and I am still alive, and I actually got to know London a little better as well while we were trekking all over looking at flats.

My new address is:
Flat 96
Eamont Court
Mackennal St.
London NW8 7DW
UK

Ok, so as far as the rest of the week goes, I met my one friend here, Dan, a co-worker of Denisse's (KC friend), who turned out to be more than helpful in my transition. He brought me a few guide/map books that had helped him when he first moved to London (he's from the States too), and he's been someone that I can trust and turn to with any question in the world. And as it turns out we will be pretty close neighbors - he lives in St. John's Wood as well.

I think I already told most of you this, but my grandma is here with me for the first two weeks, so we have been doing some touristy things since she's never been here. We've been to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace (ok, this is probably the most maddening experience ever b/c there are so many people, and I swore that I would never go back after I went in 2005, but I'm assuming most of you who visit will want to go so I will do my best to figure out the most painless way to do this thing), Big Ben, Parliment, and Westminster Abbey. We also saw a bit of the British Musuem, which has the pieces of the Parthenon that Britain won't give back to Greece and the Rosetta Stone. On Friday we went to Chicago and ate dinner at an adorable French restaurant down the street from the theatre. We also managed to do some shopping. And yes, everything here is outrageously priced. When you look at the number, it's not so bad, but then you start converting it to dollars, and it makes you want to vomit. But I've started to ignore the conversion and just focus on the number since starting tomorrow I'll be paid in pounds anyway.

Oh, I did look for cheez-its everywhere I've been and I haven't found them yet. Looks like I'm going to have to give up my addiction (Most of you know how hard this will be for me, ie, send some in care packages! :) ).

Today grandma and I went to Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and it was incredible! They are HUGE - we spent about three hours there and didn't even cover half of it, and so beautiful. It doesn't even feel like you're in a city. They supposedly have nearly every species of plant in this place. My favorite was the Water Lily House - lily pads so big you could sit on them, and have a friend join you.

I'll send photos later...having trouble getting them to the right size.

I love you and miss you all, hope all is well back in the States!

Cheers,
Heather