For as little as we did today, I feel very successful. We didn't know how long it would take us to get to the airport, so we set aside quite a bit of time. We left our hostel at 8, after enjoying a free breakfast (toast, milk, cereal).
As it turns out, it was really easy to get to the airport, and we arrived a few hours before we could even check in. We took the tube to King's Cross St. Pancras, and then an overground train to London Luton airport. We were all still pretty tired, which makes everything more hilarious. I'm sure nothing we said to anyone made sense.
We ate lunch (pre-bought sandwiches, etc. from Boots) while at the airport. Then we just sat and talked, for hours. I got really sleepy--all we did was sit! Finally, at about 1:30, they let us check in and go through security. It was really esy, and I feel a little silly for stressing as much as I did. I even got to leave my shoes on--much less hassle than when in the U.S.
We got through security and had 2 more hours before our plane left. So we hung out and explored that part of the airport. We had some snacks (like Krispy Kreme!) and browsed through stores. They had a TON of duty-free alcohol for sale--I don't think I've ever seen so much alcohol. There was also a small casino! I thought about going in--being over 18, I could if I wanted to. But I decided I probably shouldn't.
We finally got to board the airplane (about 15 minutes later than scheduled). It wasn't bad, really. But we had some delays. We almost took off, but had to turn around on the runway due to a "medical situation." We had NO idea what that meant! These two parents and their toddler had to leave the plane. Apparently, the childe was getting over the chicken pox, and his last spot had disappeared 5 days previously. But you aren't allowed to travel via airplane until 7 days post-last-spot, unless you have a doctor's note. So they had to get their luggage from beneath the plane, etc.
After they disembarked, we headed out again, but had to wait for a police helicopter to go by. Then, we were finally able to take off. Poor Holly waited almost an extra hour at the airport for us. She was there when we got off the plane, which was very exciting. I love seeing familiar faces, and Holly is really nice. She took us on the RER, and then the metro, all the way to our hostel.
After checking in, we went down the street to a local cafe/restaurant for dinner. They mostly had pizza, and it was good. Holly helped us order--I'm pretty sure the waitress spoke very limited English. Holly also taught us how to say a few key phrases, such as please and thank you. Then Holly had to leave, so we went back to the hostel. I checked my email (and sent my parents an email so they wouldn't worry). We made our plans for tomorrow, and now it's off to bed!
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