An inconclusive one week write-up

Successfully arriving was quite a struggle. The Boy Scout Motto is “be prepared,” and I did a wonderful job of that by packing the morning of my flight. The flight left at 6:40pm, so in my head, I thought, I have all day. I completely neglected the following: 1) I don’t wake up before noon during breaks, 2) international flight meant leaving for the airport at like, 3pm, and 3) I don’t wake up before noon during breaks. Oops.

Somehow, I made it in time for my nine-hour flight to London. I promised myself I would sleep the entire flight, but alas, I could not resist the urge to watch every single Disney show before trying to sleep. In addition to that conundrum was the fact that somehow, I got myself sick the day before I left. It started with just a cough, but by the fourth or fifth hour of the flight, my nose was like Lecrae— it had a pretty sick flow. At one point, the nice Austrian lady next to me offered me a tissue, then a pack of tissues, then all the tissues in her purse, which got me through the flight.

We landed at the London Heathrow Airport, and let me just say that I hope I never end up there ever again. I had to switch terminals, which meant waiting in a ridiculous line for a bus. I met a cool guy in line who was from the states and worked in Saudi Arabia, and he told me LHR was always this terrible. Woo. We made some nice small talk, and he showed me how to navigate the mess that is customs and immigration and security. My next flight departed at 12:10pm, and by God’s grace, I made it to the gate at 11:50am.

After the plane landed in Edinburgh, I got my bags and hopped on a bus to get to the city centre. Since I was arriving a day before I could move into my university flat, I was staying at a hostel that night. Now, since I am a really smart guy, I spent the bus ride (with free Wi-Fi) browsing Facebook, Instagram, and r/nba, rather than making sure I knew how to get to my hostel. So I hopped off the bus in the middle of the city with almost no clue as to how to get to my bed for the night. Oops.

As I stumbled around pretty lost, a stranger approached and handed me a map. It was clear that he was a tourist, too, and there was a language barrier, yet he offered me the lifesaver I needed. I made it to the hostel, checked-in, and settled down.

That night, though, was one of the worst and most embarrassing nights of my life. My nose decided to let loose all night long, and combined with jetlag, I slept on and off the whole night. I also had a top bunk, which meant climbing up and down the ladder to go to the bathroom to blow my nose. My biggest concern about living in a cheap hostel was the potential of loud or annoying roommates… Oops.

The next day was rough, but better. I planned ahead and took screenshots of Google Maps in advance. I got my student ID. I got lost. I went to the wrong place to get my keys. Got lost a few more times. Asked a nice grandma for directions. Got more lost. Made it to the right place. Left the right place. Got lost. And finally, I made it to 20 Sciennes, my home for the next five months.

Since then, it’s been a lot better. I’ve consumed haggis (not as bad as everyone says, but still, where’s my steak) and fish and chips, ventured to the Edinburgh Castle, found a really great church, window-shopped on Princes Street, bought my first drink (Somersby Cider, not bad actually), and met people from all over the world (various parts of the UK, Australia, Denmark, Norway, Canada, etc.). I’ve gone to all my classes, and I’m honestly ridiculously excited for all these lecturers and tutorials and classes and homework and studying (wheesht). The gym was disappointing (no pick-up basketball games and it costs a lot; I miss Greg), and the sun doesn’t seem to enjoy hanging out here, but every place has some good and some bad.

The days have started to blend together, and I know not every day will be a huge adventure, but it’s been a good week. The biggest takeaways from this week are: 1) it isn’t southern hospitality, but people are still nice, and God is good, 2) learning to make friends again is challenging, but I’m learning patience, and 3) God has more in store for me here.

Thankful for thoughts and prayers from my SGLL and Joseph back home, and anyone else who snapchats me (jjasonhe)! I should go back to studying and travel planning (read as: Netflix-ing), but thanks for reading! Cheers!