Fall is here, hear the yell

So today was the first day of school. It seems like it's been a long time coming. Friends back home are beginning to think about midterms, and I've been wandering for the past month. Responsibility is good though -- I don't feel right if I don't have some organization and directed motivation in my life. I have classes on Monday (lecture and seminar for my Feature Writing course), Tuesday, and Thursday (both Sociology courses). I'm done with class by 11:30 Thursday, which gives me a nice, long weekend and enough time to travel some. Seminars don't start until next week, so I was done with class by 10:30 today.

I decided to head into London instead of going back to the dorms. I wandered around Covent Garden, ate lunch in Hyde Park, got lost, and finally made my way to Oxford Street. My goal was to buy a book of essays by George Orwell that is required for my journalism module. Since Oxford Street is world-famous for shopping, I figured it wouldn't be too difficult.

I found two small bookstores farily quickly, but neither carried the title. The further down the street I went, the more crowded it got and the stores got bigger and more expensive. I tried another promising shop -- Books, etc. -- but it didn't have the title either. Just as I was about to give up, someone with an American accent yelled my name. In front of me was Mark, one of the students who lives in the flat below me. We were both excited to run into each other so randomly, especially in such a busy part of town. I was frustrated and told him I was having trouble finding a bookstore. He laughed and pointed -- there was a 3-story Waterstone's right next to us. They had the book I was looking for and I now had someone to join me on the ride home.

There wasn't much point in sharing that, except that it felt awesome to run into someone in a city with a population of more than 7 million people. I know it's dumb, seeing as I haven't been here long and haven't even begun classes yet, but I'm already dreading leaving London. I want a city like this to feel like home, not just a cool place I visit. I want to know the best places to eat, the cool spots to catch live music ... I want to be able to get around without getting lost ... I want to be part of this amazing, vibrant city and more than just a visiting student ... I want to pay far too much for a too-small flat ... I want to finally comprehend why I'm so strongly drawn to London. I think that's part of the reason I'm reluctant to come home and return to my "normal" life. I don't want to accept that this will end, nor do I want to take the chance that I'll never return.

And, oh yeah, my class was fine; it was a basic introduction day, not much different than the States. I feel like I may be a bit ahead of some of my peers in terms of journalism experience, but definitely behind in comprehension and knowledge of current events in the UK. Similar to Dr. Teel, my professor is adamant about her students keeping up with current events and is planning on quizzing us at the beginning of each class. I couldn't answer any of the questions today except for who is involved with a big cocaine scandal -- Kate Moss. Good to see I'm keeping track of important and life-changing events. Looks like I'll need to brush up on news over here.