Getting There

My day began at my parent's house in Austin, TX where I had been for Christmas. I had to fly from Austin to Nashville (3 hour lay over) to JFK to London Heathrow. It was my first time in NYC and JFK was a bitch. By the time I got on my Virgin Atlantic flight to England I wanted nothing more than to see Sabine at the arrivals gate as quickly as possible. 6 hours later my wish came true. Sabine and her father were waiting for me the moment I went through customs, ready to explain this new and mysterious world to me.

Sabine and her dad, Kamal had driven to get me and the most difficult part of the jorney back to their home was getting out of Heathrow. We arrived at their house in Hampton about 20 mins later. First order of business, call my folks, it was 5am their time but alas my father was awake and waiting for the call.

I started to get to know Sabine's parents, her mother Anna. Anna is German and Kamal is Indian and together they are the two most generous and sweet individuals I have ever met. They made me feel completely and utterly welcomed in my home and catered to my every whim. Anna made us breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs with chives, toast and if I recall correctly German ham. The food was delicious.

In an attempt to keep me from falling asleep we thought heading out into the world would be best. Sabine had already gotten me an oyster card, a type of pass that you can load with money and use on buses and the Tube. We walked a block to the bus stop and the dork me absolutely loved that my first bus ride was on a red double-decker bus. Our first stop was Hampton Court Palace.

It. Is. Astounding.

I couldn't help but think about the fact that Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I had all stepped foot in the garden, walked the pathway and wandered through the palace. It was surreal. We wandered around from one side to another, just taking it in.
After overcoming the awe I felt toward the palace itself I changed entirely into a five year old as we made our way to the Maze. Sabine had been through the maze several times so she let me lead the way.
Because we are total dorks and big Harry Potter fans we did our best to pretend we were
in the Tri-wizard Tournament. It didn't take too long for us to find the center. Which didn't really take that long. Finding the way out was another story all together. We actually found the exit about 20 minutes before we actually exited... poorly marked signs are to blame. As we got out of the Maze Sabine pointed out that it was 2pm London Time which meant I had been awake for a straight 24 hours.


I needed help staying awake and demanded Diet Coke. I had my first appearance at a pub to get a non-alcoholic beverage. We reenergized before heading to Kingston, a town not far from Hampton. Our first mission was to got to Marks & Spencer to change my Dollars to Pounds. The high street enchanted me with Christmas lights and crowds. Our first stop was the after Christmas sale at Bentalls. The only section we really showed any interest in was that of lingerie. I got a fantastic French bra, Lejaby, for half price!

We met Anna at the bus stop just outside the store and rode home with her sharing our tales of steals and shopping. Sabine had taped a TV movie the night before, Ballat Shoes, based on the book and staring Emma Watson so we watched that before dinner. Anne gave me a peice of German cake to tide me over. I can't describe it but it was to die for. At the same time Kamal ran to the supermarket down the street and bought me some Diet Coke. Anne made dinner which was delicious, cajun seasoned chicken with roast potatos, salad and a glass of white wine. After dinner I heard some tales of Anna's "wanker" of a boss. Great fun for all.

I kept falling asleep on the couch and can't really remember what time I finally managed to make it to the bed. I'm staying in Sabine's room with her on, I believe, a King size bed. VERY comfortable.