Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

I will preface this post with I got to London safe and sound with relative ease. If you'd like to read the long detailed version then proceed. I blame my love of history and literature for my detailed account. =)

A 4:30am wake up call by my alarm after going to bed at 2am was very unwelcome. I hit snooze once, maybe twice. When I finally pushed myself out of bed I quickly gathered together my things, woke up Mom, and did my online check-in for my flight. After a quick good-bye to Dad who was still sleeping we went out to the car (which I had to uncover from snow) to drive to the airport.

The morning didn't start off the best at the airport and I was hoping it wouldn't be an indication of how the rest of my travel day would go. To begin with, the electronic signs were malfunctioning so I couldn't see which line I was supposed to go to. I proceeded to the nearest one where I showed my boarding pass and asked if I was in the right place. The Air Canada employee said yes so I joined the long winding line only to find out when I got to the agent that I'm in the domestic line. The plus side is that because that line took up so much of my time I got to by-pass the giant line at the international booth and go right to the front.

On I went to security where I had to finish the 3 sips of my Gatorade before they would let me into the line. No problem. I took off my bag, jacket, scarf and placed them in the bins and walked through with no issues. Then without explanation a security person says I will have to wait a few minutes and calls over her colleague. She says I have to come with her and to leave my belongings with the other attendant. Knowing that I had a fair amount of cash and Mom's camera in my purse I refused and asked if she would be responsible for my belongings if something went missing. They agreed to let me take my purse with me. I was brought over to a giant electronic machine and was motioned to go inside. I can only assume that it is one of those body scanners and I refused to go in. I told her that if she'd like to search me that's fine but I'm not going in that. She said 'ok' and directed me to follow her back to where my other belongings were, told me to hold out my hands, then put them in my sweater pockets, then hold them out again where she waved some magic wand over them. I asked what it was and she just smiled and said I could grab my stuff and go. WHAT!? So my options are go into some giant electronic radiation machine or magic wand? I've been searched a couple times before at the airport which is fine because they're doing their job but at least they answered my questions. I would've been less annoyed if this lady had just responded, it wasn't 6:30am, and I had my coffee. Rant over.

Finally through security I continued to my gate which was quite the distance away. Before I got there I saw a Tim Horton's and despite the super long line I knew I wouldn't function without a coffee. I didn't know until I received my cup but Roll up the Rim had started and it was just my luck that I won a coffee as I'm leaving the country. =(

The flight itself was great! There weren't enough people on the flight so they had to shuffle some around to even out the weight. I had a window seat and no one beside me so I was able to stretch out and had extra pillows for behind my back. I watched 3 movies: Due Date, Never Let Me Go, and Score: A Hockey Musical. I fell asleep part way through the last one though because I was pretty tired.

Getting through customs was fairly easy but the line was ridiculously long so by the time I got to the luggage carousel there were only a few bags left, including mine. I gathered them up, went to the taxi stand and found out that it would cost me 80 pounds to take a taxi to Lewisham. That's equivalent to around $125 Canadian so I opted for the longer and less expensive route- the tube. Trying to carry all my luggage up and down the stairs to get to each station (I had 3 transfers, including the bus) was not easy. I think that makes up for the week of not working out before I left. haha. Finally, just after midnight I made it to my new house to be greeted by Monica and Chris who waited up for me.

So it was a long journey but relatively painless. A few bumps along the way but nothing I couldn't handle. I'm glad to be here and now I just can't wait to get over my jet lag.  =)