Over the pond.

Ever heard of WOW airlines?

Yeah, me neither. 

I left from BWI Wednesday afternoon with the bags that I packed Tuesday night (okay, and Wednesday morning). Wow has a weird rule where your carry-on has to be less than 11 pounds, which is barely the weight of my laptop. Needless to say, I packed very carefully. 

The flights were long, but I managed to knock myself out with some (over-the-counter) drugs. 

I was out cold before they gave safety instructions (would not recommend). Because I was flying so far north, the sun actually never set. Here is two photos, taken two hours apart. #MidnightSun #Beautiful #ButIStillWantToSleep

Sunset over the Atlantic

Sunrise over somewhere in Greenland

 My First view of Iceland! Beautiful Country.

 Look at that sunrise! (At 4:30 a.m.)

 I arrived at Reykjavik in the very early morning, after a somewhat rough flight. The airport there is small and confusing, and I forgot that you need different money in different countries to buy food. Yes, I was that American tourist who gave the cashier a Madison.

 I had no idea what to order or how much any of it cost.

We had to walk to our next plane, and here is the view from behind the fence!!! I would love to explore this country a little bit more.

 My only selfie in Iceland

 I was able to stay awake for Safety Instructions on this flight, although I did not understand a word of it. Whoops.

 My Icelandic breakfast/lunch/dinner (I don't know what type of meal I was supposed to be having, so I just covered my bases)

I did not sleep on the second flight to England, although in retrospect, I really should have. I sat next to two mother/daughter Icelanders who were going to visit their cousin in London, and it was the daughter's first time out of the country. This 35 year-old daughter learned English by watching the O.C. and asked me all of these questions about the show and the actors. Unfortunately, I have never watched that show in my life but fortunately, I am very good at pretending. 

 First view of England

 I arrived at the Gatwick airport and it was incredibly chaotic and stressful. The border control line took me almost two hours to get through, with no form of entertainment. It took me another hour to get money and figure out the cheapest way to get to the centre. I took a train to Victoria Station (above) and then took my first double-Decker bus ride to Palace Court.

 27 Palace Court

Tired, Smelly and famished. But thrilled to be there!

London Prep

Before you go any further, press play. This blogpost was meant to be read with solid 1990's music in the background.

Welcome to my travel blog. I have grown to dislike blogging (as I tend to ramble), and sites like twitter (@missjanessa) and Instagram (@JanessaJames @JanessaWanders) limit me and therefore force me to produce higher-quality content. But a requirement with my Study Abroad program has me ending my haitus from the blogosphere. I'm not going to guarentee regular posts, but I do promise that I will post occasionally while in London.

If you've decided to read my blog, you're either my family (Hi Mom), I somehow became famous in the future and somebody has dug up this blog to blackmail me (These comments are those of a sarcastic college student, and may not reflect my current views), or you are genuinely interested in my thoughts of travel (unlikely, but possible).

Liking the song yet? It reminds me of Matilda.



I decided to do London Study abroad long before I even went to BYU. I have never heard anybody complain about their study abroad in London, and I have heard way too many "I wish I went on a study abroad".  Why London though? Why not Italy or France or Spain? Simple answer: English. I'm not dedicated enough to learn a new language. I'd much rather stick with what I know and have one less cultural barrier during my time abroad. So I applied and was accepted weeks later.

Preparing for London was rough to say the least. I'm the person who packed for college the hours before, and London was no different. A couple of lifesavers:

1. Stylebook App: I wasn't allowed to bring a ton of clothes to London, due to limited space in the center. I used this app to organize my closet and pick a few pieces that would come together to make multiple outfits (Google or Pinterest "Capsule Wardrobes"). The BEST app that helped keep me organized and is still paying off when planing what to wear is Stylebook <3
2. Chick-Fil-A: When I was feeling depressed about the lack of American food in the UK, I would get my fill at the greatest company on earth
3. Barnes and Noble: I went to this big bucks bookstore corporation for a couple of hours at a time when I had nothing to do, and I read up on London and England in general. I got so many good tips and ideas of things to do, that I will never EVER be bored. I familiarized myself with the public transit system (Something I use multiple times a day), and am now the tour guide of the group.
4. ADVICE: I got a ton of advice (And am still getting some) about things to do and places to go while in London. It is an expensive and large city, and you could use a few reccommendations.

Okay, I think that's it. More about London in following posts.