Goodbye USA, Hello UK

Alright. So I actually made it to Scotland despite all the odds being against me and the other group of study abroad students I was with. Since I am approaching the end of my second day in Edinburgh, let me recap what you all have missed.

I woke up at 3am on Tuesday the 9th to go to Tulsa (where my dad so generously drove me at that ungodly hour). My first flight left on time and was all fine and dandy until about 30 minutes before we were supposed to arrive in Newark, NJ. The captain came on the loudspeaker and announced that no flights were entering or leaving Newark because of severe weather conditions so we would have to go ahead and land in Baltimore to refuel because we didn't have enough to sustain us through the delays. We were only in Baltimore for about 30 to 45 minutes and then we continued on our merry way.

We landed in Newark around 1pm and I already knew I had a long wait ahead of me because my flight was scheduled to take off at 9pm. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed, not once but TWICE so that we didn't actually leave Newark until 1am. That means I spent roughly twelve hours in the Newark airport. Gross.

Finally, we got to London where customs was a nightmare (as it always is) and where we encountered even more delays because of our excruciating delay from the flight to London. Though we boarded around 4pm, apparently (I don't really know because I passed out about 5 minutes after boarding) we didn't leave for an HOUR because some guy who wasn't supposed to be on the plane was and they had to remove all his luggage - which happened to be some of the very first pieces of luggage loaded and, therefore, were the last to come off. And of course they had to reload all the luggage they unloaded. Eventually we made it to Edinburgh though I slept almost the entire way. All my bags were there so that was awesome but in total I think I was traveling for about 30 hours. Needless to say, I'm not very eager to get on a plane anytime soon.

Some good did come of the horrendous traveling pains and that was that I actually made some friends! I think we were all so tired and so gross (from serious lack of bathing and clothing change) that we looked past all that initial judgment/self-conscious stuff and just let it all hang out. I'm so relieved and now I feel very relaxed, almost at ease! I know. I'm shocked too.

We are currently in a hotel for a few days of orientation and then we move onto campus or into our flats on Saturday. Right now I am SO thankful for all the things that have gone right and for the fact that I actually feel sane, comfortable, and not depressed.