Monday, September 29, 2008

Preparations: Part III

So by tomorrow, this time, I'll be waiting for my flight at LAX. As of now, however, I'm sitting on my bed with a laptop on my knees, reading the two dozen or so emails I've received in response to my Gumtree ad looking for a place to rent in Central London. Angel is laying at my feet with her nose pushed into my purse, limp as a bear rug and bleary-eyed. My bedroom in general is a mess -- toppling books and stacks of papers fill my desk, the bed is unmade, clean laundry is piled on a chair, there are unfinished manga on the floor, bags and boxes full of newspapers and magazines, and the air could do with a fresh squirt of Fabreeze.

I haven't packed a single thing yet, but I've got a list to prevent me from forgetting things. Warm-weather clothes, cold-weather clothes, electronics, photography equipment, toiletries, books, notebooks, etc... Somehow I've got to stuff it all into one 29' bag and keep it under 50lbs. How I'll manage that is yet to be seen.

Uh, oh. Now Angel's giving me the full-on Sad Puppy Look. I must rush to her whilst trying not to feel too guilty for leaving her for 6 months... Oh, puppy! *cries*

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Preparations: Part II

Six days left until I'll be in England, dragging my heavy bags through the turnstiles of the London Underground to some hostel -- or rented room, if I can get one by then.

Today has been a day of bank-shopping and flat-hunting. With my mom, I made some calls and went to several banks to inquire about UK accounts, wire transfers and exchanging currency for some travel cash. So far, it seems the best deal is to arrange my UK account upon arrival, wiring funds to myself from Washington Mutual (the only one to make transfers fee-free, as I've found). Once there, I'll possibly use Citibank, HSBC, or another bank with local origins. I'll be getting my British Pounds in a Wells Fargo bank in Westlake tomorrow morning. It would have been nice if a closer bank could have taken care of that part today, but as it was, closer Wells Fargo branches could only offer overnight FedEx shipping; Bank of America was worse -- it would be shipped to the bank by next Monday. Too close for comfort!

So I suppose tomorrow I'll also be at a salon, bright & early - ready for some unpleasant business involving hot wax and a cloth. Then Westlake, then more flat-searching... hopefully I can find something cheap & central, if possible no more than £100/week. I'd be so relieved if I can arrange something before arrival... and even more so if I can line up a job interview or two for the first week.

Is there anybody out there reading this looking for a journalist/copy editor/researcher/photographer/etc.???

Saturday, September 20, 2008

The Primal Six-Year Old In All of Us

I've just returned from Disneyland, and I had a smashing time (see how I'm already using British-isms? Albeit a bit retro, but still... pre-acclimating!).

Mumsy & I behaved like silly children, regressing to more primal actions -- e.g., giggling, skipping about, singing, stuffing our faces with jelly beans & fudge... We couldn't have gone at a better time; the weather was moderate and the crowds were minimal -- just about every line was at 10 minutes for most of the day! We collected Fast Passes throughout (I think we had about five or six rides lined up before we stopped collecting altogether) and used them only when a few extra minutes were added to the wait times ("What's this?? 20 minutes?!"). I've still got unused Space Mountain passes in my bag now (we went 3 times already). We were so far ahead of the usual schedule, we had time to slow down and do things we don't often do -- like ride the Mark Twain twice in a row at sunset. Because the crowds were so low, there were no Fantasmic performances today, but that's usually just my time to snag another ride or two while the crowds are distracted.

But there was a drawback... and it's a rather serious one in my book. THE HAUNTED MANSION WAS CLOSED. Maybe under different circumstances I'd be less disappointed, but this was my last visit for at least six months, and it's my favorite ride. I usually make a point of riding it at least four times each visit - and each time I loudly sing along to "Grim Grinning Ghosts," trying my best to participate in the "swinging wake." On this particular occasion, the Mansion was closed in preparation of the holiday season. I could see past the walls a bit, and the exterior was already set up. As much as I enjoy the holiday version, I would have really enjoyed a proper sendoff to London with one more trip into the Mansion.

Tomorrow won't be quite so much fun... My mom's going to be busy with loads of financial stuff, and I'll be involved in some of it. Post-Disneyland days are rarely exciting by comparison anyway.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Preparations

Step One: Application -- check!
Step Two: $$ -- check!
Step Three: Airline Ticket -- check!
Step Four: BUNAC Blue Card in the mail -- just got it today!

COUNTDOWN TO LONDON: 12 days!

I am at once terrified and excited. London -- my dream, "jolly ol' ", "there's no place like London" -- it's all grime and accents at its grittiest, grandeur and glamor at its shiniest. I'm ready to become a part of it. I'm giddy as old-time immigrant setting sail for New York.

So at the moment, I'm sitting on my sofa in Reseda, still in my jammies. It's after 4 o'clock... I haven't done much today except delight in the ordinary tasks of laziness. I played a little World of Warcraft, answered a few emails, watched an episode of Psych... The dogs are sharing in my laziness, too. Angel's napping in my bedroom and Major's snoozing in the kitchen. I'm thinking I may get dressed and play a little Kingdom Hearts. Maybe I'll have a cup of tea. My parents are out for the day (work), so I'm pretty much left to my own devices until 5-ish.

Tomorrow I'll be going to Disneyland with my mom. It's been a long while since I went with her, though that used to be always the case. It was always my mom, Kim, myself and -- very rarely -- my dad, too. Ever since Megan and I started getting the Costco tickets (four each), we'd go together and save one for a trip with our sisters. I didn't use my extra with Kim this time; anyway, I look forward to tomorrow -- it's one more thing I can share with my mom before I go away for half a year. And we'll be as silly as possible.

It's hard to say how quickly the time will go. When I went away to Florida for 5 months, time passed gradually. Though I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything, homesickness often creeped up on me. This time, it'll be longer. And I don't even know where I'll live or work -- not yet. I've waited years for this. I'm up for the adventure.