My International Flight Experience

So, I am a couple of days behind with this entry, but I thought that I would fill everyone in on how my flights getting to South Africa went.

I left for Chicago O'Hare International airport at 3 PM from my grandparents house (who were amazing getting me ready for my travels and they spoiled me with great food as usual!) to catch my 6 PM flight that would take me to Hewthrow International Airport, London. I was able to hook up a cheaper flight to Cape Town, South Africa if I had a 12 hour layover in London. The flight itself was awesome, Virgin International Airlines really knows how to treat their passengers as I was never with out some sort of cocktail. The flight was a record 6 hours (expected 8), and with all the fun I was having with the Brits traveling with me, I found it next to impossible to sleep.

With a 6 hour time change from the Midwest, I landed in Hewthrow at about 10 AM. Exhausted from the flight I was caught between a rock and a hard place. Do I sleep in the airport because I am exhausted? or do I explore a European city (In which I have never been to Europe before) ? Granted it was a no-brainer, I grabbed 2 cups of coffee (extremely thick in London) and headed for immigration so I could be granted access to the UK!

After one hour of getting lost in Hewthrow, exchanging currency (which the dollar isn't holding up to strong against the pound), and getting an all day pass to take a train through London; I was on my way to Green Park where I would visit some of the local attractions.

On the train I was extremely excited. I have never visited Europe before and I especially have never been in a foreign country without my parents, or anyone for that matter, before. It was a thrill because I was about to overcome one of my fears of going to a completely unfamiliar place alone. Hopefully I would make a few friends along the way.

I do not want to bore you with the little details of my London experience, but I will tell you that I walked 8 miles (not sure what that is in meters ;), I ate lunch at a Pub that cost me 10 pounds for a burger and 1 pound for a pint (naturally I got a few more pints at that price), I got lost one hour before I was supposed to board my flight in the heart of downtown London and had to walk a mile to the nearest Tube (London's Subway), and I was called a "Bloody American" about three times!

All in all, this was the best 12 hour layover I could have ever possibly experienced. In a way, I believe that having the opportunity to visit London and having the ability to go outside of my comfort zone while in an unknown European City, will help me in reaching my goals of learning as much as possible about Apartheid, HIV/AIDS, and Poverty while in South Africa.