[It’s about 3:15pm here…we’re all lounging around, napping, clicking away on laptops, whining about how tired/loopy we are – waiting around until 6pm when we’re going grocery shopping. I thought I’d take some time to get my first thoughts down]
This first part I wrote as I was waiting for my flight out of Dulles….
***
If you’re curious, the checked-bag weight limit for United is 50 lbs. Frank Benson told me it was 70 lbs – he is not what the youngsters call “with it”. As I’m checking in, the attendant says “well, your bag is over the limit” (No surprise there. No matter what limit they give me, I’m sure to exceed it – I’m American, I need EVERYTHING I OWN because it’s ESSENTIAL to my LIFE) and then follows that up with “aaaand I need you to take 2 lbs out”. The scale said 72 pounds!! Seventy-effing-two!? Did Frank slip in Parker when I wasn’t looking?!
…actually, that would have been awesome. I miss him already.
I took out a few shirts and a pair of shoes that brought it down to a healthy 70 – then I paid my $50 Heavy Bag fee and was on my way. Had I left those 2 pounds worth of crap in the bag, I would be out $350 bucks right now. Like 5 minutes into my trip. Yikes.
If we’re keeping track: in my efforts to become more cultured, so far I’m sticking to my superficial-materialistic-consumer roots like nobody’s business…not exactly the way I wanted to start out. At least it was still on US soil so maybe it doesn’t technically count?! Maybe?! Honestly, I’m a little bit scared about the return trip now…
Side note: who wants to bet I brought more with me than Rosa did for her traveling adventure?! I would not be surprised…so sad.
So for now I’m sitting in the waiting area in front of my gate, with my slightly heavier carry-on bag, about 40 minutes away from boarding dee plane. Then my real adventure begins as I have to navigate a bajillion pounds of ESSENTIAL PERSONAL ITEMS through the streets of London to our designated meeting point.
***
Our story continues as I am getting on the hotel shuttle bus at Heathrow. The guy took my bag and grimaced as he attempted to heave it into the back of the bus. He says “You know, most people come to London to BUY things! You came to sell?!?!” and then followed that with “we’re not a third world country yet!” With his subtle commentary of my packing skills, I then resolve to either throw away half my belongings, or seriously consider shipping some stuff home.
The running commentary in my head as I was taking the hotel shuttle bus into the city was as follows: “HOLY SHIT LONDON, good god I’m tired, I need coffee, HOLY SHIT LONDON, the store ‘Bathrooms etc’: what is the etc?, I am SO tired and the United coffee tasted like ass, Aww look at the London people crossing the street looking all cool with their Londonness, HOLY SHIT LONDON”.
Something like that.
Bye! More later, maybe pictures!
Happy Birthday Kelley!!!!!!!!!
update: the first few pics!
3 comments:
On the over-packing: Did you know that the weight limit on Air Jamaica TO Jamaica is more than coming FROM Jamaica? Gah. Josh and I did not know this fact and then frantically rearranged our belongings in front of 200+ people.
And: HOLY SHIT LONDON.
100% awesome.
Dude, the rearranging all of our belongings in front of tons of impatient tired people at the ticket counter while moving across the country was beyond embarassing. We've all been there.
HOLY SHIT LONDON! (I echo Meghan's sentiments)
OMG YOU JOINED FLICKR I FREAKING LOVE YOU EVEN MORE. get ready for comments. =]
haha about the luggage. you def brought more than me because my weight limit on my flight to taiwan was something riculous like20 KILOS. do the math.
but now i would say we are about even cuz i left half my junk in taiwan and still have a crapload with me.
LONDON! SO PUMPED.
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