The Bussio Life

 

 

GOOD MORNING LONDON

When I first landed in London the initial thought to cross my mind was "What have I done"? I was standing in an airport with no signs anywhere except for the word "toilet" printed in plain print above a symbol of a lady off to the side. 

I head down, what seems a 10 minute walk, to customs and am asked what my business is here in London. I told her I was a student from Brigham Young University and she looked at me puzzled, "I've never heard of that place, do you have a customs letter?"  Good thing I remembered to put it into my backpack...she examined my letter and then sent me on my way, waving and saying "have  great time in London!" 

Next I get to baggage claim...no staff members are to be found, just travelers who knew exactly what they were doing. I felt like such an odd ball.  I get my luggage, sit down on a bench and decide to wait and look for someone who might come though this baggage claim for the London Centre. A guy that was my age, off of my flight that I sat next to, comes up to me and tells me, "if I you need any help at all, give me a call." That wont happen but it's comforting. I met him and his sister on the plane, they are from North Carolina.  About that time a girl with blonde hair shoots around the corner and I caught a gleam of her back pack, it was just like mine, BYU! I tapped her on the shoulder and she was so happy to see someone from BYU.  We waited around for any other girls for a bit and then decided that we should just catch a ride to the centre. We looked at cab tickets, way expensive...around 40 bucks a person...so we decided to take the underground tube for 4 dollars. Keep in mind I have two 50 pound suitcases, a large camera, and a backpack...9 flights of stairs and 7 blocks later, we arrive at the London Centre! All of the professors fly outside and great us, seeing them was such a comfort!!! They had cookies laid out on the table with glasses of water and ice melting in them. My friend I traveled to the centre with got placed on floor 3 and I got placed on floor 4.  Oddly enough, floor 4 is on the 7th floor...here I go again with two 50 pound suit cases. I make it up and there's one bed left, the bottom bunk, the one I wanted! I have my own corner, there are 12 other girls in my room, 3 showers, 3 toilets on the lower level floor, and we each get an outlet to ourselves under our beds. There are no outlets in the shower room but there is one in the hallway...that's where we blow our hair dry, one at a time, so I wake up before the other girls. I got put on kitchen duty so I wake up an hour ahead of the girls and meet 5 other kitchen duty girls before each meal, I help set everything up for around 50 people, and then clean up the dishes after. The London Centre is amazing and gorgeous. I love all of the girls and now have 39 new best friends! 

The first day I unpacked my things into my locker and put on the sheets that don't necessarily fit my bed.  I opened the windows because they don't run the a/c, it was so nice outside that day.  I washed my face and showered, the showers are just clear glass so you have to pinch the towel in the door jam to cover the front of the shower.  The water is soft water and so the soap never really feels like it comes off your body no matter how intensely you scrub ha ha.  Maybe having more shower pressure would help, the water definitely takes its time making its way out of the faucet head!  It really takes talent but I am a pro now! 

That same day we walked around our area, which is Palace Court, k gardends, hyde park, and lots of fun streets.  

You'd think with 12 girls talking it would be an issue when you try to get some sleep. Not at all, luckily the girls my age LOVE sleep just as much as me! No when it comes to not getting enough sleep I blame it on my mouse friend.  I have a mouse that sits on my shelf by my bed every night, I always catch him with the light on my cell screen.  I flash my phone up there when it's dark and everyones asleep, there he sits. 

This past Sunday I got assigned to hyde park ward, on the way there my church shoes wore such bad blisters on the backs of my heels until the blood started filling the bottoms of my shoes. I ended up walking the rest of the way barefoot, to my meetings and for the walk back. Not going to wear those again! The hurt spots are now clearing up and things are a lot better with the feet situation. Quite the experience.  I get my calling this week, I am going to be in the Lee something ward and there are a lot of young women there, maybe I'll get to teach them?!

We go on "London walks", it's part of a course we have to take here along with our core classes, and they map out where we are supposed to tour and tell us a little about everything. (It's a book we follow while we walk around) Seeing everything in London is impossible. There is so much everywhere and there is always something unique about whatever it is that you're looking at.  London's the most amazing place I have ever seen, I love it here.  

One thing to look out for, they drive on the wrong side of the road. You would think that I would get used to looking for the cars to come at me...but no. I still don't have the road rules down pat, all of us girls here are constantly getting honked at, oops.  

Today was our first day of actual classes, we have one classroom, it's pretty much the coolest room in the whole place.  The doors on the 2nd floor take up the whole front of the building and they all open into the classroom! The weather is always nice outside and the sun rises through the doors, it literally is hard to focus on the teacher because of how amazing it is just sitting in that room.  On the other side of the room through the other set of doors, there's a garden on the 2nd level of the porch....the students can't go out there but I can see it from where I sit and it is so nice to see. 

My bunk is by the doors on the back of our place, the fire escape is right outside, the coolest thing. I have my own corner which is nice because I get a little privacy but the room is still pretty open. I just finished eating some leftovers for lunch in the kitchen from dinner last night. 

Overall, I love the london centre and I literally am having the time of my life :)