UK 2012

[davidn]

After three entire years away, I finally find myself here once again on the slightly better side of the Atlantic - we're in a hotel adjacent to Heathrow, and will begin our journey northwards soon. The flight over was ghastly but only by virtue of it being a flight - it left on time, was very smooth with only minor pockets of turbulence, and was tolerably quick at only six hours. I took a heap of electronics with me, but only ended up using the 3DS - and I can't say I've ever swooned over airline food before, but when they served a breakfast that included Danish bacon and a pork sausage, it was difficult not to feel encouraged. The flight attendants were all absolutely charmed by the stuffed rabbit I was clinging to, and were asking me if he had a name, perhaps mistaking me for a giant mutant baby or some sort of escaped mental patient.

I always get a supercharge of energy through an absolutely renewed appreciation for life at that moment when you feel an aeroplane's wheels touch the ground, but having been up since four in the morning in Boston, that didn't last long this time - we took the Terminal 5 underground future-pod thing followed by a bus to the car rental place, blearily chose one that we could fit our luggage into, and trundled it along the road into the hotel car park.


Next time the map will be slightly more informative. Tomorrow we start towards Oxford, and the perceived danger of being on a flight will be replaced with a very real danger to everyone else as I attempt to remember to drive on the left.

Comments

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

"The flight over was ghastly but only by virtue of it being a flight "

Did the pill help any? Or did you pull through without it?


"The flight attendants were all absolutely charmed by the stuffed rabbit I was clinging to, and were asking me if he had a name, perhaps mistaking me for a giant mutant baby or some sort of escaped mental patient."

What's wrong with naming them...? How is it fundamentally different from having one in the first place?
Sometimes I have to remind myself that when people say things like that, they usually aren't trying to draw attention to your difference, they're just trying to be accommodating and show their support. :) I know it doesn't always feel that way, but it's important to remember the spirit of the gesture.


I've been meaning to ask, I've forgotten the numbers to this whole timeline -- is this your first time back since moving to America?


Anyway, glad you managed your flight comfortably enough :)

[davidn]

I had taken a lorazepam, and I still found myself... scared, but less actively terrified than I was the last time I took a flight without them - in keeping with my description of them making you care about things less, I still knew I was flying and that I didn't like it, but it made me less inclined to dwell on the imagined dangers. The cabin crew were definitely showing their support and were happy to talk to me about fear of flying - just that the rabbit talk made me feel about twenty years younger :)

I moved to America in 2006 and went back a couple of times since, but this was the longest time ever - I haven't been in Britain since 2009. And now it honestly feels quite foreign.

[kjorteo]

I think my biggest problem with stuffed animal names is that I managed to reacquire my entire collection I've had since childhood, but a lot of them ... well, I named them when I was very young! The ones I acquired more recently are either nameless or something fitting like Sara, but then you have, er, Woofy and Snakey and the like.

[kjorteo]

(Wait, is it Woofy or Woofie? You know, I got him in somewhere around third grade and that's been his name his/my whole life, but it's always been phonetic and I don't think I've ever actually written it down or spelled it out before....)

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

My NEW ones are STILL named like that! Who do you need to impress with them? :P

[xaq.livejournal.com]

"...replaced with a very real danger to everyone else as I attempt to remember to drive on the left."

Um. Perhaps you should stick to the side of the car you're used to getting into then? ^_^;

In any case, have fun, be safe, yada yada.