I've Arrived! (Finally)

     Beginning my journey a little over twenty four hours ago, I am finally all settled in!  I arrived much later than I had planned due to a plane delay.  This key detail caused me to miss my connections in DC and Paris....so I had to find another way to the UK.  Step in direct flight to Manchester.  NOT East Midlands.  However, I did get here in one piece, sat in the EXIT seat on the plane, paid for a coach to take me to Derby, and finally after a 4 and a half hour bus ride, I arrived and met my host family!

     Why did I take a four and a half hour bus ride?  Well, me, the ignorant American, had no clue that Birmingham was actually south of Derby.  I had to change buses there, but there was no other way.  What's the plus side you might ask?  I was able to see the beautiful English countryside.  I loved seeing all the fields with the antique houses along the Dual Carriageway (or interstate).  Because of my bus journey, I also got to visit a few key bus depots in Stoke on Trent, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Derby, and a few others that I can't remember the names.  I also noticed a mixture of several different people - many speaking a variety of languages.  All in all, I've had an interesting journey so far.  I didn't take too many pictures of my bus ride...I didn't want just a bunch of blurs.  But here are a few key photos from today:

 

Above is the nifty hand-dryer from the airport.  Why did I choose to capture this moment?  Hey, all you do is stick your hands in, then bam!  dry hands.  Much more efficient than the old ones. 

This here is my coach ticket.  Because my flight was delayed, I had to take a bus to Derby.  This was also my very first purchase in the pounds - quite a memorable moment.

Below is a picture of my new home for the next month:

It's not messy - that's just my computer charger in the middle of the floor.  I'll tell that wonderful story tomorrow!