And Back Again
“Alas that journals so voluminously begun should come to so lame and impotent a conclusion as most of them did!”
--Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
I’m typing this on Air Canada Flight 857, non-stop service from London Heathrow to Toronto. It’s about an eight-hour trip, so we get a meal, a snack, a dessert, and no fewer than two in-flight movies. Unfortunately, those in-flight movies are Ice Age 2 and X-Men United. I know it probably seems like I’d be pleased with that, but what I’ve sampled of Ice Age 2 (on now) is pretty lame – it’s the writing – and one time through X-Men 3 is enough for this geek, thanks.
I may tune in for the part where Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge, but that’s where I draw the line.
(Hey, good news – it’s X-Men, not X-Men United, so I win.)
No delays or problems at the airport, although the new restrictions regarding baggage were a bit of a problem for me when it came time to pack. See, when I came here, I was allowed two carry-ons, and they weren’t especially picky as to their size, so both my backpack and my laptop bag were filled to capacity. Even with the spare suitcase Jill left for me, it was a challenge. The one carry-on you’re allowed now is basically limited to the size of a laptop bag anyway, which meant that in addition to the excess I’d accumulated in my two months here, the spare had to also hold everything that used to be in my backpack as well. I moved all my books from my duffel and backpack into the spare, along with a jacket or two, my towel (Hitchhiker’s Guide be damned; I never once needed that towel!), a pair of shoes, and whatever souvenirs I could fit in the cracks. I didn’t get it all sorted by the time the taxi arrived, so I was in the backseat frantically trying to shove a single shoe into my backpack on the way there. Even so, I needed about 15 minutes outside Terminal 3 to repack one last time. It obviously worked out eventually, because, well, I mean, here I am, but I’ll be glad to unpack for the last time in hopefully a while when I finally get back home.
Speaking of getting back home, I’m going to wrap this up mid-air and post it online when I get a chance (hopefully in Toronto, but we’ll see). In a way, it’s difficult to let the ol’ blog go, but I have to face up to the fact that now that my summer abroad is over, the day-to-day minutiae of my life simply won’t be novel enough to require a running commentary. In other words, things will go back to being the way they were, more or less, and I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it. I’m eager to start in on my last two quarters at UCI, work on my new radio show, finish what I’ve started for Scripps, and see friends, family, and familiar sights again.
I told the taxi driver today that just when I’d gotten used to England it was time to leave. That was not entirely true: I never quite got used to it, no matter how much I wanted to. Sure, I was able to find my way around in London without too much difficulty (unless I were looking for the British Museum...), and the Underground didn’t present the challenge it did four years ago, but I always felt a little out of place, try as I might. That disorientation was certainly part of what made it interesting, but nonetheless, it’ll be good to feel out of place in the U.S. again.
I’ve been reading The Innocents Abroad here and there, as you may have guessed from the quotation that began this entry. I’m going to end with another, from the Preface, that’s equally applicable.
“I offer no apologies for any departures from the usual style of travel writing that may be charged against me – for I think I have seen with impartial eyes, and I am sure I have written at least honestly, whether wisely or not.”
Thanks for reading.
--Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
I’m typing this on Air Canada Flight 857, non-stop service from London Heathrow to Toronto. It’s about an eight-hour trip, so we get a meal, a snack, a dessert, and no fewer than two in-flight movies. Unfortunately, those in-flight movies are Ice Age 2 and X-Men United. I know it probably seems like I’d be pleased with that, but what I’ve sampled of Ice Age 2 (on now) is pretty lame – it’s the writing – and one time through X-Men 3 is enough for this geek, thanks.
I may tune in for the part where Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge, but that’s where I draw the line.
(Hey, good news – it’s X-Men, not X-Men United, so I win.)
No delays or problems at the airport, although the new restrictions regarding baggage were a bit of a problem for me when it came time to pack. See, when I came here, I was allowed two carry-ons, and they weren’t especially picky as to their size, so both my backpack and my laptop bag were filled to capacity. Even with the spare suitcase Jill left for me, it was a challenge. The one carry-on you’re allowed now is basically limited to the size of a laptop bag anyway, which meant that in addition to the excess I’d accumulated in my two months here, the spare had to also hold everything that used to be in my backpack as well. I moved all my books from my duffel and backpack into the spare, along with a jacket or two, my towel (Hitchhiker’s Guide be damned; I never once needed that towel!), a pair of shoes, and whatever souvenirs I could fit in the cracks. I didn’t get it all sorted by the time the taxi arrived, so I was in the backseat frantically trying to shove a single shoe into my backpack on the way there. Even so, I needed about 15 minutes outside Terminal 3 to repack one last time. It obviously worked out eventually, because, well, I mean, here I am, but I’ll be glad to unpack for the last time in hopefully a while when I finally get back home.
Speaking of getting back home, I’m going to wrap this up mid-air and post it online when I get a chance (hopefully in Toronto, but we’ll see). In a way, it’s difficult to let the ol’ blog go, but I have to face up to the fact that now that my summer abroad is over, the day-to-day minutiae of my life simply won’t be novel enough to require a running commentary. In other words, things will go back to being the way they were, more or less, and I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it. I’m eager to start in on my last two quarters at UCI, work on my new radio show, finish what I’ve started for Scripps, and see friends, family, and familiar sights again.
I told the taxi driver today that just when I’d gotten used to England it was time to leave. That was not entirely true: I never quite got used to it, no matter how much I wanted to. Sure, I was able to find my way around in London without too much difficulty (unless I were looking for the British Museum...), and the Underground didn’t present the challenge it did four years ago, but I always felt a little out of place, try as I might. That disorientation was certainly part of what made it interesting, but nonetheless, it’ll be good to feel out of place in the U.S. again.
I’ve been reading The Innocents Abroad here and there, as you may have guessed from the quotation that began this entry. I’m going to end with another, from the Preface, that’s equally applicable.
“I offer no apologies for any departures from the usual style of travel writing that may be charged against me – for I think I have seen with impartial eyes, and I am sure I have written at least honestly, whether wisely or not.”
Thanks for reading.
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