Lost! 5/13/08

Today I got lost for the first time. I was trying to get to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, but the bus I got on switched destinations on me! I try to take the bus so I don’t feel like a groundhog, never really seeing where I was going, just popping up out of the tube in one place, then another. However, that bus let me off somewhere completely different than I expected. I stood there, people rushing past me in both directions, having no clue whatsoever where I was. I pulled out my wonderful London book that my roommate, Emily, gave to me, and tried to find where I was on the maps in the back. A bit flustered and still hoping to make it to the square in time to look around before having to be back for the girls, I started walking in the direction I hoped was right. I kept walking, and nothing looked landmark-y enough to be on my maps. Finally, I saw a Subway and went in, got a sandwich, and sat down. I decided that my best bet would be to try for the British Museum instead. From what I could tell, I was closer to that than the square. The problem still remained that I had very little clue as to where I was, and therefore did not know how to get to the museum. So, I hailed a cab (okay, not really, it was parked just outside Subway) and told him to take me to the British Museum. The ride was at least fifteen minutes long. Something must have been going on because traffic was ridiculous. I think that is partly why the bus dumped us; something had happened somewhere. After paying the cab driver 12 pounds (approx. $24. Sigh.) I got out in front of the museum. It was quite a site; I wanted to cry when I looked at my watch and realized that I would have less than an hour in there. So, instead of subjecting myself to the torture of ripping myself away from the galleries, I decided to find the tube station and go home and relax for as long as I could before the girls needed to be picked up. I had never taken the tube before. I walked for about five or ten minutes to the station, wandered around until I found the right line and platform, and got on. I think maybe I should stick to the tube from now on. They don’t change where they go. I got off at the station that is about five minutes from the house, went to the Tesco (the local grocery store) and got a four dollar bottle of cranberry raspberry smoothie because I was tired, had a headache from being in the city, and needed some comfort. Four dollars for about eight ounces. I am definitely NOT a city girl. Don’t worry, my thirst for adventure in the big city of London has not been quenched by this one little mishap. In fact, in all honesty, it was probably not so bad for me to get lost. It gave me practice using both the taxis and the tube, and I know exactly how to get to the British Museum now. We’ll see tomorrow if I can find Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery…