mid-september, 2

so I should be asleep, but I noticed right before clicking the laptop shut that UC EAP United Kingdom's facebook page had posted a photo album of the orientation for the students going to the University of Manchester. I decided I had to look through these and then, of course, I was wide awake again.

I forget the progression, but then I was back on Megan's page looking through her pictures and being generally jealous that she's there already; for whatever reason I ended up on google maps, searching for the High Holborn Residence so that I'd know what to expect when I was there.

The tube station I'll exit from is very close to the H.H.Residence, and the walk should take me probably ten minutes with luggage and a crowd pressing in on me. Check-in to EAP orientation isn't until 15:00 on Monday, and I'm arriving at Heathrow at 11:15. After I get out of customs, it'll probably be noonish (I have no experience and could be totally off on this estimate, but I'm trying to overestimate as opposed to the opposite), and then I have an hour's tube ride to Holborn. Plus the wait time in lines to buy a single-fare ticket. So I figure it will probably be around 13:15 or 13:30--trying to get into the habit of the 24-hour display, I apologize to American readers--before I get to the H.H.R., but even then I'm still an hour and a half early.

So what will I do? I've researched my options several times. I'll be allowed to check my luggage in to a locker room, but I can't go to a room to rest/clean up until I've checked in at 15:00, and I've also heard it's good for jet lag to be outside as much as possible and drink as much water as I can. These two things in mind, I've had the general idea that I will probably go visit a cafe and drink as much h-two-oh as I can in those minutes. (It's possible things will play out differently, since I've recently gotten in contact with the other UCI student attending UEA and therefore the same orientation as me. She's arriving in London on Sunday, though, so I might meet up with her? I'm not sure, but there are possibilities open to me.)

The reason I'm writing is because while I was on google maps I was exploring High Holborn and +Drury Lane--YES, IT EXISTS, I'M GOING TO FIND THE MUFFIN MAN--which is right off High Holborn and behind the H.H.R., (I feel like I'm writing the U.S.S.R. when I do that for little apparent reason besides the repetition and the 'R' but it's currently 2:30 {am}, so there you are). I decide to use the nifty little "search nearby" option and type in "cafe" as I haven't had much luck locating anything with food and drink besides Domino's. And several options pop up--this is London, after all--but the first one on the list and quite near to Drury Lane is Poetry Cafe.

I immediately choose this one--what English major wouldn't? what writer wouldn't?--without looking through the other options and look up directions. It looks like a three minute walk from the H.H.R., and google provides me with a +website link, so I decide to check it out.

I see a lot of things on the page, but what's the first thing? That it's vegetarian cuisine on the menu. And next? Poetry readings every night.

It almost makes me wish I was staying in London for longer; and it definitely makes me feel just that much more excited and hopeful. This is real, and now. It is in my life, and it is right.