The Wonderful Life of Post Degree-ness (Part II.I)

Thursday 2^nd June 2011

The alarm goes off.

Hit snooze.

The alarm goes off.

Hit snooze.

Alarm.  “ARGGGHHHHHH I’M UP! I’M UP!”

I hasten to grab a bag and throw some stuff in.  ‘What to wear, what to wear.  Blacks good, black will be fine – vest, jeans, jacket – sorted.  Oh no, underwearrrr, right.’ *Cram in hair stuff* ‘Tickets, tickets? Check’

*Text* ‘We’re going to be late, meet you in 5’.

“ARGGGHHHH I’M COMING I’M COMING! Camera, where’s my camera, and my phone?!”

*Runs*

“Argghhh I’ve left my purse!!!”

*Runs back…runs back to him*

“Okay, ready.”

“We’re going to be late”

“No we're not, we can run”

*Runs in sweltering heat after a year of no exercise* 5 mins *Dies*

“We’re definitely going to miss the train”

“Your fault.  You know I’m always 15 mins late.”

Him: ¬__¬

“Shush and keep moving”

We hit the city centre with only 10 minutes or so to remain.  We wisely choose to grab a hesitant taxi who's not so happy he's got to the front of the queue to make a 3 minute journey.  I stupidly don't tip him (I'm an idiot I know). But we've made it! We're on the actual train!

TO LONDON!

With my exams and my education behind me with just me and him.

It's bloody perfect.

 It’s a 3 hours journey but who cares.  I get a phone call for me to do some work, but who cares.

I’m amused by what’s going on out of the window and try to delve into some Twitchhiker but he wants to sit by the window.  I’m not having any of it because I want to see everything.  Besides he can look when he goes on the train next, he lives down there already!

So trees, fields and places flick by and nothing much happens.  Apart from the fact we have one of those table seats and sharing it with some girls who talk about nothing but boys and nails (*Snore*) and he really does end up snoring - he drifts off.

It's okay though because as we draw near Doncaster it's ticket inspection time.  And we're in prime seats to watch the showdown as an Asian woman argues with the ticket woman about being on the right train.  She lied.  She's meant to be on this train, only 6 hours later.  This is a lesson in life - never piss off a ticket inspector - they take no bull sh*t.  As the Asian woman plays dumb saying she doesn't understand, the ticket inspector decides to take drastic action and get the police involved.  And when the woman protests she'll get off at Doncaster the ticket woman in all her uniformed glory snaps back "I don't believe for a second that you'll spend 6 hours in Doncaster".  However, she walks away giving her the opportunity to escape.  Thankfully for us she doesn't get off.  Another showdown and she finally coughs up the money she owes for a ticket on the train at todays price - for two of them.  Came up to over £200.  Again, I wasn't joking never to piss off the inspector...

Only another hour and a half to go though.

And it's all uneventful, though I'm sat all excited and taking random photos out of the window.  Here's one I took when the women were arguing...

We're finally there though, in KING'S CROSS! And the first thing I desperately need is the toilet.  30P! 30p to pee.  Can't believe it.  How can someone charge you to do what nature intends you to?  But I don't care for long as my boyfriend points out all the McD's you can see from the station (ohhh yusss!).  I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M IN LONDON!!

Me being a little Northerner, I decide it was a must we need to walk to the next station to take us into Essex and to his.  So we walk and I take more pictures:- 

Four things I noticed about London is that it’s realllly hot there (I just wanted to strip), the double yellow lines are actually red (what’s that all about?!), it’s really big, and as a consequence is really easy to get lost.  But we made it despite being beeped at by a car (I really thought he knew me…small town girl), being asked to swap something for a pen (he dragged me away – I’m useless with people and trying to help them), and finding a couple of coppers trying to break into a building (they were unsuccessful).  We made it to McD’s before getting onto the train to his.  Score: first McD’s of the trip!

At this point I’m really very nervous.  I’m about to meet his mother – and this is very scary considering I haven’t even told my parents about him yet nevermind let him meet them!  But it's exciting!