Hello England!

WLTL’s own Lise Graham is travelling across the United Kingdom and is blogging about her experiences from WLTL.  Here is her first entry:

I have never been out of the country before. Unless, of course, you count my two Disney cruises through the Bahamas…but most of my time on those I spent on a boat. In the water. So, naturally, upon arriving in the UK to visit my brother, Doug with my parents and aunt, I experienced what one might refer to as, ‘a culture shock’. I had read up on England, trying to mentally equip myself of some of the differences I may experience, and I assumed it would be as it is in the movies: bustling London filled with chimney sweeps dancing on rooftops and the calm tranquil countryside with a bunch of cows and cockneys. I was mistaken. Not to say that that isn’t how it is. But I think I just underestimated the whole other-countries-exist-besides-the-U.S. thing. And, to put it frankly, I’ve discovered that I am not the best tourist ever. I mean, it is pretty blatantly obvious upon opening my mouth that I am an obnoxious, stupid American. The first time I heard a British accent too, I could hardly believe it. “You mean they actually talk like that?” I was in awe. And this is all before I even left the terminal. Anyways, so we found my brother (miraculously) in Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning, changed in our money for pounds (their money is purple and sparkly. I didn’t realize how incredibly boring U.S. currency is until now) and were on our way to the tube, which we took to Kings Cross where we caught a train to Grantham where my brother’s school is. 

But first, we had to endure the tube. Similar to the EL in Chicago, the tube is an underground train that makes many stops through out the metropolitan areas of London. Perhaps it was the jetlag setting in, but apparently I was talking quite loud on this ride, for the people next to me were definitely inching away. Oh, and when we got off, my brother gave me a talking to for using the word “soccer” instead of the word “football” when I was talking about LT’s recent state championship in the sport. I hope I didn’t offend anybody. Anyways, the rest of that little travel episode involved me forcing my family to follow me to Platform 9 3/4, which, for all you non Harry Potter fans, is the place where Harry and his Hogwarts friends got picked up by the Hogwarts Express which brought them to the wizarding town of Hogsmeade. Anywho, King’s Cross station had commemerated a little pretend Platform 9 3/4. It was the greatest. We proceded to get on our train (these trains are similar to the Chicago Metra, except prettier) where we got to sit first class. And from here, we traveled past many little adorable towns and villages and sheep for about an hour and a half, and one hundred and twenty miles later (fast train!) we got to Grantham England. Here, we took a cab to my brother’s castle of  a school called Harlaxton Manor, where we were to stay for the next few days. After checking in to our twelve foot high ceiling rooms, my brother and I went to a “Costume Ball” with his friends…strobe lights in the Great Hall. Now that is something you don’t see everyday. More to come from England! Cheerio!