Well i made it, i am here, you may all breath easy. I dont even know where to start. So taking off snuck up on me quicker then i thought it would. Ray was at the doorstep and my pack was not complete. After a last minute change i/we decided to send me out of waterbury instead of ray driving me all the way into the city and putting his youngins through such a ride. So at 920 err i mean 2120 i stepped onto the train and was greated by a quite friendly chap (haha i got london in me already). He was bringing this actress to send her back home in the city. And it kinda hit me all at once that it had started. I wasnt ready for it to start yet cause i wasnt in europe but i was already meeting people and figuring out the public transportation. The girls name was rebecca and seemed to be a bit relieved to know there was someone else heading into the city. She was quite nice and reminded me a lot of Liz Orciari. We chatted about her crazy part in the show she taped. It was for a prime TV series in Japan. She played the wife of a husband who is a bad doctor...iono it was a funny script you had to read it, but based ona true story. So upon arrival of grand central we parted ways and it was to the subway. Now according to mom and per the hotel i should hit up the e line to stuphin blvd. I must say as i sat there crouching at this map made for a midget with 40 lbs on my back and writing way too small to read i gave up and just headed toward the e line without confirmation. Just as i got there there was a train shutting it's doors. Another girl was pulling em open and pushing herself in so i figured it was common practice and did so as well. As i got on a guy said i was lucky as the conductor bantered something incoherant over the high quality speakers. I shrugged my shoulders and he started questioning me about my trip. Now i cannot even think of a common jewish name or if they have a look, but if they do then he had it. I might be cause he vaguly resembled a guy at work who i do know is jewish. Moving along....he sat and thought for a minute as if paning through his vast memory to find the crazy solo trip in europe file. When he found it, it was a checklist of things that he proposed that i might have forgotten. At this point i knew two things that no i had no where i was going what i would do or where this was all going to lead me. I did know that i had everything i was gonna need and not too much more and nothing less (as many know the too much more is a distinct posiblity so it is good that it is minimal). Well i had everything on his checklist so that met his approval. I questioned my stop and he didnt think i was on the right train, and he suggested i ask the conductor. I tappe don the door and asked but shouting accross this metal door just wasnt gonna happen. Once i found the map on the train it was apparent that i was on the E line but in the wrong direction. The man said he thought it would be about 1 hr mistake.....ouch seeing as though it was 0015. Well i should get out and i did and he wished me luck. So as i again looked at this all too confusing subway map i realised that any city living i will do will be in boston. The subway there is cake. NY has letters and numbers and names for the lines and the whole uptown downtown thing was messing with my mind. I figured it out and actually it worked out well cause the hotel was wrong the stop was on the F line and the station had an F line going in whatever direction i needed it to. The slight detour gave me only an extra 20 mins vs 1hr, strength in knowing when i mess up i will figure it out, and a nice bit of rambling on here. So that was it out at stephine i went and up toward the light (er lack there of at that time). It brought me to some random street with nothing but large unnamed buildings. I asked a nearby kid who was waitin for some freinds to finish up closing a MacD's and he told me the street i needed wa far away. Alright cool i will just walk in that general direction and hit up a cab that he said should be around. Sure enough i found a gas station with two cabs filling up, one of them had to take me. And the first one that i should the directions to agreed but it was more like he was doing me a favor. Eh whatever i would get there soon hopefully. The kid was right it was a long ways and 12 dollars later i am at the hotel greated by a way too awake clerk at 0130. When i got up to the room it looked like heaven but heaven would only last for a few hrs. I got everything ready for the mornign and passed out. I was up at the fine hr of 0545 and rushed through the shower shave bit in worry i would miss the free shuttle and have to hti up the pricy cab ride. I made it with plenty of time to spare cause the shuttle was running 20 minutes late and for an hourly shuttle that is bad. The 4 other tourist gals that were waiting seemed to be excesivly strapped for time. Turns out they had a flight at 7 and they thought the 6am bus would get em there in time. But i must say they did seem quite dolled up so i am sure they were up early and just didnt think they needed much time to do that whole airport deal. Must we even look good on the plane? ;-) crazyness. So then the day of line began. Everything went over perfect timing wise. Didnt ever have to wait too long (or maybe i have just come to expect really long lines). I even saw a camper from last summer who was also goin to london. Small world. The flight was great got a window seat, no screaming kids, didnt have to get up to go the bathroom, and the flight was ahead of time by 45 minutes because of "amazing winds that were abnormal" said the piolet. Cool so all went well customs i was ill prepared for cause i knew my story would sound sketchy and i meant to have some answer for him.....so how long you staying...iono....meeting up with friends......no.......what are you gonna do.....be a tourist........when are you leaving.......soon.......how long you in europe for.....2 months......YESSSS i had a solid answer.....he seemed intrigued in abad way but stamped my book and i was off. Ok now for hotel number two. Tried the phone cards and couldnt get them to work to call the hotel so i figured i would do the subway and taxi deal again. But no the subway is on strike. So instead i took a pricy 13pound for 15 minutes train into london. Yeh i am gonna get out of this place soon. But after a fun little cab ride i was at the doors of the ramsees hotel.. The room is prolly the best i will have in europe with a combo toilet/shower like camping trailors have. The TV doesnt work and light above the mirro is out but it was so nice to lay on the bed and veg for 10 minutes before venturing out. With that you are all up to date. Tomorrow is an admistrative day finding a place to stay getting some supplies (food, stove fuel, etc, and an online deal for the school of nursing). As of now i might get out of here really quick cause it is so pricy. But we'll see. I will still be using [email protected] as much as i can find realitly cheap internet. Til lata....benjamin L