Arrivals

Arrived in London about 10:30 this morning local time just as planned. The flight itself was mostly uneventful. I sat next to a 20-something jetting to London for work at one of the pharmaceutical companies. That's something I thought I might see myself doing, but he was working on his cell and his laptop the entire time. When I first boarded the plane, he was on his phone doing what sounded like a conference call, and he kept using unfamiliar corporate speak I can't even quote here because half of it was jargon and the other half was unrepeatable. I never knew salespeople cursed so much. After he got off the phone, he proceeded to down 3 dirty martinis, 6 olives, and then passed out. He all but drooled on my arm. Luckily he had the window and I could still get out of my seat. I don't think I could survive that corporate world.
This morning when we touched down, I quickly realized London may not be the place for me either. It's a balmy 44 degrees now, but a light rain is falling, and the sky is gray. I forgot how gray and cloudy this place was. I picked up an umbrella and some cute water proof boots in the airport. At least it's warmer here than it was when I left home, and there's no snow.
In case you're wondering, I've got my credit card with me. At this point, I've got a good credit limit, but no income to speak of to pay off the bills. I'll have to find some kind of work, enough to keep the minimum balance paid anyway. The bills will be sent home, but I told my husband I'd take care of it online. I have the one we were never using, the one that gives us airline miles ironically. Luckily I have no real debts to pay off back home, financial ones anyway. I left my husband and kids in my wake, but that's an emotional debt I'm not ready to talk about yet.
So where am I now? I'm at a youth hostel in the center of London typing this. After I landed at Heathrow, I took the underground to Piccadilly Circus right in the center of town. I could spend a lot of time here if money was no object, going to the theatre, eating at all the Indian takeaways and noodle shops. I was starving after I landed, and I found one of those right away.
I could work at one of the local hospitals, I suppose. I wonder what it would take to transfer my medical license and all over here. But I'm sure the patients here would be no different from the ones I left behind.
And I think I'd rather land someplace warm. This was a good starting point when I was trying to leave Philly in a hurry in a snowstorm. Luckily I had a late flight, and it was delayed, but it still took off once the snow stopped and they cleared a few inches off the runways.
For now, I've found a cheap hostel to sleep at.  It's here in the center of town, close to the underground.  I couldn't check in and leave my stuff in the locker until 3:00. I negotiated for a cheaper rate, $15 a night since I'll stay a few days. Give myself time to do some better planning, figure out what I'm doing, where I'm going to go. Some place warmer for sure, some place where I can find some decent work.
This place has bunks, 8 to a room, with a common bath, but it has free internet access and a cafeteria that seems to serve some decent fare. I was hoping to meet some interesting people, but so far, there's just one other girl, and she hasn't said 2 words to me yet. I guess not many travelers come to London in February.
Off now. I'm going to splurge to see a show. I need to take the tube to Covent Garden to catch a show called The Play that Goes Wrong. It's about a theatre group who tries to put on a 1920's murder mystery. Sounds a lot like Dial M for Murder, a show we did when I was in college. Something I can get lost in for a couple hours. More later or tomorrow or whenever.