DC, Boston, NYC, Boston again, the SF Bay Area, then Boston one more time

Ideally, I'll be updating this blog more often once I'm in England. I'm just trying to keep it "on topic", and not very much England-y stuff has happened in the last month. I was busy though.

Getting all my stuff from Washington, DC to Boston ended up being somewhat challenging. (Who knew that three 90 lb. bags would be difficult to manage as carry-ons on Amtrak?) Additionally, as the last one (of 4 roommates) out of my room, I inherited the arduous task of throwing away a summer's worth of accumulated trash and rotting food in order to avoid a hefty fine from George Washington University.

When I got to Boston, I did absolutely nothing for 3 days. It was wonderful. Then, I paired down the entirety of my worldly possessions to the contents of a couple suitcases by putting some things in storage and giving/throwing away everything else.

Applying for my student visa was mostly hassle free until FedEx lost the package containing both the visa and my passport on its way back from the British Consulate. Fortunately, I own a Dell laptop (it breaks down constantly), so I know how to deal with customer service people. I usually try to say, "Do you have any idea who I am?!" as many times as possible. Also, no matter who I'm talking to, I ask to speak with their manager almost immediately. Then, when I finally get what I want, I demand a discount or a voucher if they've kept me on the phone for more than 10 minutes. My time is extremely valuable . . . . . HAHAHAHA!!!

I spent a week and a half as a counselor for the Freshman Arts Program, went to New York City for a few days, then came back for the first half of MIT fraternity rush.

Right now, I'm enjoying a few relaxing weeks at home (San Francisco Bay Area) before heading back to Boston again for a one week "communications seminar". I have absolutely no clue what that will entail.

Last Week in DC

I figured that this would be a good time to start this blog as I've finally begun to make preparations for my trip. This is officially my last week in Washington, DC. Next Saturday, I'll be on a train to Boston. After that it's California, then Boston again, then England.

On Wednesday I filled out the paperwork for my student visa. The only part that made me a little bit nervous was FedEx-ing my passport to the British Consulate in New York City. Recent screw-ups at the State Dept. have made the waits for getting a new passport unfathomably long, so mine had better not get lost in the mail.

Today, I picked up a copy of Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson, which catalogues the author's travels in the UK. I've really enjoyed a few of his other travel books (A Walk in the Woods, In a Sunburned Country, etc.), and I heard that this one is particularly funny. Mostly, I'm hoping to get a better idea of the cultural differences between England and the US. Bryson's book has already taught me that in the UK, a "public school" is actually a private school and "streaky bacon" has a lot of fat in it. Hopefully, more useful information is forthcoming.

I know that the page says this post was made at some ungodly hour in the morning, but I assure you that it's only about 10pm. I set this blog up on Greenwich Mean Time so that there wouldn't be any confusion later on.