The First 72 Hours...

Where do I begin..it all seems like a blur..

Flight was good. Watched 'The Departed' and 'Jackass 2' on the plane. Both quality movies. Food was actually not bad.

One of the things I failed to anticipate and brace for was that I would be getting into London at rush hour (8:30 local time). There is nothing more enjoyable then carrying 80 pounds of luggage through the rush hour Tube and Victoria Station. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I didn't sleep a wink on the plane. Battling exhaustion was a constant problem and the first hours in England felt like some kind of dream. By the time I got onto campus I had been up for 24 hours. Pretty surreal stuff.

The weather. Holy shit the weather. Yesterday I woke up it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. Today I woke up and it was cloudy, dark, rainy and windy. The Weather Channel shows some form of rain here everyday for the next 10 days. I can't even begin to understand this weather. I saw the sun for about an hour today before it quickly went behind the clouds and was followed by rain. It's not showers, its more of a drizzle. Sometimes a light drizzle, sometimes heavy. I've never been to Seattle but from what I hear its a similar climate. It's also a bad sign that very few people in Brighton today had umbrellas during the rain showers. They must be used to it...

Food. Food has been hard to come by around campus. There are grocery stores that sell groceries but there are no eating establishments that serve vegan food. Yesterday I had a hummus bagel (spelt homous here) and that was alright, but I'm sure I'll get sick of that bagel in no time. I went into Brighton today and got some decent food, but did not have enough time to eat a proper meal. I think that Brighton has a lot potential for good vegan food. Also, vegetarianism here seems to be way more acceptable then it does in America. Most goods are labeled with a big 'V' for 'Suitable for Vegetarian' (even the vodka my flatmates and I drank last night was labeled with it). People in England also don't seem to be as intolerant towards vegetarians as Americans do. All the people I've told so far have been way more accepting then most Americans I tell. Restaurants seem to have more vegetarian options and are much more willing to cater to herbivores. On a side note, I went to a grocery store today to get vegan food and Linda McCartney has tons of her own vegetarian products. The English also have very funny looking apples and fruits.

Little differences. Since America and England speak the same language (some may argue otherwise) one notices lots of little differences between the two countries. In England they aren't ATM's, they're 'cashpoints'. The keyboards on computers are different. Paper sizes are different. In order to have a TV in your dorm room you need a TV license and penalties are steep if you are caught without one. Thus, our flat does not have a TV. Which I am kind of bummed about, not because I am a huge TV addict but because I occasionally like to relax and watch the Real World. 6 Months with little TV may turn out to be a blessing in the end but I'm a little sad about that now.

My flat. Aside from the lack of television my flat is pretty cool. Flatmates are nice and there is a bar maybe 100ft from my door.

Comforts. The main thing I miss about America is the comforts. In Ardsley, in New York, in DC, I know what to expect. I know where food is, I know where friends are. If I want to watch the Jets game I know a thousand places where I can see it. Everything is so new here that getting adjusted is hard. I'm sure this will pass, but the excitement about being in a totally different place is mixed with the anxiety of being in a new place. As each day passes, however, I am starting to get more comfortable and feel like myself. As the jetlag begins to fade I am starting to feel better. I bought a secondhand bike today and got a good 5 mile ride in. Not only will that bike save me money (everything here is so expensive!) but will keep my sane and fit as well. The ride from campus into Brighton is really pretty and I look forward to doing it may times.

In general, things are getting better. As I start classes and start making friends I think this experience has a lot of promise. My favorite Brighton band is playing on the 12th and there is another sweet hardcore show on the 15th. Brighton is a really awesome city and I can't wait to spend more time there. I miss New York, but even if this experience sucks it will at least make me appreciate home more.

One thing I can't do in the States, however: watch the Arsenal game in a bar 50 feet from my dorm room. Thats where I'll be in an hour. This country rules.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I could have made it even longer. Everything is so different and I have no one to talk to who would understand. Hopefully I will be posting much more in the future.

Cheers.

-Steve