Good Evening From London, England

Well I am here. After an exhausting application and visa process and what seemed like an eternity of working behind the information desk at Catholic University on Friday and Saturday nights to pay for my abroad experience, I have arrived in London, England.

My flight “across the pond” was OKAY. United had great amenities for this poor coach passenger however they were late leaving Chicago by almost three hours which is, as many of you know, an annoyance. Once on the ground at Heathrow however my commute went smoothly. I took the Heathrow Connect Train to the London Paddington Station where I picked up a taxi to take me to my final destination. It is amazing how efficient the transportation system is here! One hundred times better than DC’s! In total my journey lasted just about 19 hours, taking me from my home in Ohio to my temporary home in central London. Much of that time however was spent waiting, waiting, and oh yah waiting in Chicago!

The flat that we are in is very nice. A step up from Opus Hall I think! While I do not have a single, our suite has 2 bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, and ample walking space or “party space” as we 5 call it. We even have our own little garden! My roommate is Pat Redding, a great guy who I hope doesn’t hate me after 4 months of living together. Downsides? Only 5 TV Channels! Now don’t get me wrong I want to explore the city with the best of them but a guy needs his TV!


The location, as aforementioned, is wonderful. We are in an area known as Little Venice featuring a beautiful canal with boats restaurants and boat taxis. I can’t wait till April to see Little Venice in action. A Catholic Church is right near by and tons of shops, markets, and restaurants are less than half a mile away.

Seeking to explore this city even further, Pat Redding, Mike Deterra and I ventured onto the Underground (Metro) to a) purchase my oyster card (smart trip) and b) check out Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and Big Ben. Our final destination took us to a wonderful Pub near Waterloo station called “A Hole in the Wall.” This pub was awesome. I had the traditional fish and chips as my first London meal and a beverage that turned out to be alcoholic cider and not beer. Who knew it looked just like it!

So I have been here one day and I have already enjoyed myself. I am sure there will be bumps along the way and I will highlight them in this blog to. Look for Videos and pictures as well. Know this however, if you are reading this chances are you care about me so please know that I miss you. The hardest part about going abroad is saying goodbye to people that you genuinely care for, both in Youngstown and Washington DC. So to conclude this post:

I miss you. I love you. Stay safe and please skype or IM me soon!

Joe