First Day in London

My British Airways flight was quite nice actually - easy check-in, no lost luggage, really comfy headrests - I slept virtually 8 hours straight, and I get American Airlines miles for it (every mile counts). I spent my first few hours at Heathrow this morning changing money and sorting out details with United Airlines and American Airlines for my holiday itineraries because I am using vouchers that needed to either be delivered in person or mailed to the States ASAP (which wasn't really an option from Mumbai).

Then I went straight to my friend's house in Hackney (these are friends of my friends Liz and Brian who were arriving a few hours after me) via the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then a cab aride to their place. They just bought a really cute 2 bedroom flat in a decent area of Hackney, and the walk to the post office through the park (or was it a cemetery) was actually quite nice later in the afternoon.

It's cold here - near freezing, but nice for a change, and I more or less have the right clothing. We didn't do anything touristy today - just chatted, made lunch together, took a walk, rented some DVDs, and went out for...Indian food. I know- hilarious. We went to a place called Rasa that my friends absolutely love, and even I had to admit that the food was very good (dare I say better than the Indian food I eat in Mumbai?). It's been nice to have a relaxing day with friends. The kind of "family day" that I always associate with holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Being in a home like this does make me miss so many things though that are a result of me traveling all the time. Seeing their fridge full of organic fruits/veggies/milk, and just the way the house is set up...makes me want to have a place of my own. But I'm not ready for that yet, so travel I will.

Tomorrow should involve some more touristy things while we allow Becca and Alex to prepare some of the vegetarian Thanksgiving mains. I am splurging with my last bottle of California Napa Cab that I brough back in October for the occasion, and it should be a nice and indulgent day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I hope your travels have been safe and you are able to spend it with family or friends!