So this is my first blog ever! My first blog in the world! My first blog in the universe! Ok enough.
I am thoroughly jet lagged after an eight hour flight from Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow. Getting the visa was hard enough and I was already completely exhausted after my fourth visit the embassy which finally resulted in my visa after my daddy drove three hours up to Chi-town to make sure I was taken seriously by the man behind the counter. Anyhow, the boy on the plane ride over was 14 and from Birmingham… My mind immediately went to a joke I heard on a British comedy show about Paki’s… I guess there are a huge amount of Pakistani i)migrants who live in Birmingham… Anyway, I decided if I tried telling it out of context, I’d probably come off as a giant asshole, so I didn’t. All was well as he fell asleep, drooled, and then in a feverish stretching yawn, punched me in the face, quite unintentionally. Welcome to the UK.
Miraculously I made it through customs without being mistaken for a hooker. This time around, there were no questions regarding my dress bag and my lack of funds. I wasn’t quarantined this time with an Arabic guy and interrogated by three large men with very clipped accents. Apparently being a poor actor doesn’t cut it in England, so having the student id, seems to be the way to go from now on, otherwise I will definitely be accused of selling my body. Well… at least my days of being a school girl aren’t quite over, so I can still wear plaid mini skirts and knee socks; a wonderful thing for an American Blonde in England. Yay!
Chris… wonderful Chris… met me at the airport and there I was, unscathed, awake, and happily smothered in kisses. Sometimes I wonder how on earth I managed this one. I can recall our first encounter at a stage combat workshop in Elgin, IL.
“So,” I had asked, “Where are you from?”
“England.” He replied.
I rolled my eyes. “No shit.”
He stammered that he was sorry and that he was living in London…
After that fairy rude beginning, I don’t know what happened. No one has ever really pursued me quite like that… He was very insistent I become his girlfriend and I thought. Right. Yes. Of course. You are lovely.
So there we go… Me… off the plane… Chris… the car… Chris’ uncle… liquid breakage in a suitcase… mess. Home.
Swindon, otherwise known as “Swine Hill.” Enough said. (although the town gardens are lovely) So now I am here and it’s morning and I wasn’t able to sleep any longer. More later.
An American Blonde in England 
Hey cuz! Cute blog! It’s a plus to be able to get a nice summary of your flight! I knew the visa would come if Wayne was gonna be in the picture to help. In the bible, the book of titus mentions not to let people look down on you because of your youth, unfortunately, they do…..and i guess it doesn’t help to be blond and female! Hang in there, and enjoy every second….even the painful ones. xoxoxoxoxoxoxox amy
Sarah,
This is so exciting! I’m really happy for you.
I have spent tons and tons of time in the UK, and it’s fun to read about your adventures (BTW… “Paki” is considered a derogatory term, so probably good you didn’t tell that joke!).
Swindon is… well… yeah. But you are really close to Oxford, which is AWESOME and if you head on down the M5 into Cornwall there are some lovely little places to spend a romantic weekend. Check out the Eden Project near Par. There was also super cute little village south of Swindon that I think is called Alderbury that I loved. It was on the edge of a cliff and didn’t allow any cars.
Enjoy your time. It’s a beautiful country!
xoxo,
Amy
I was wrong! It isn’t Alderbury, it’s Clovelly that’s south of Swindon. Check it out: http://www.clovelly.co.uk/