London/New York, day 15, July 1, 2007

Sunday: we are scheduled to fly at 4:00 p.m., but because of the terrorist threats and attacks here in England, security will be heightened, so we must leave early.

Our last breakfast in the dorm near ours, where we have been eating every day for two weeks, was very nice. The kitchen staff have been very friendly and have made us feel at home, customizing our eggs for us every day, requesting porridge on days when it was not scheduled. They all gave us a warm send-off.

Then back to the dorm to pack, and off to the tube (we've become quite expert at navigating the subway) to Heathrow. Because of the security issues, it took us over an hour just to get to the check-in counter, another hour to get through security, and another half hour to get to a second security that was just for our shoes. Why we couldn't do the shoes together with the belt buckles remains a mystery...

We had barely enough time to rush to the gate, run onto the plane and get settled before we were able to wait on the runway for an hour so that their paperwork and the effective number of passengers could be reconciled. It didn't really bother us. The plane was much more comfortable than the one we flew out on. De. and I decided that we like Virgin Atlantic very much and would definitely fly with them again. Their planes have names, I like that.

Just as the flight to London had been, this one was also completely uneventful, just the way we like them. Very smooth, no turbulence, nice flight attendants, a lot of entertainment choices, personalized for each passenger (another winning feature).

I read the entire book of 84 Charing Cross Road, and cried my eyes out. Very nice.

We arrived in New York right around dinner time and De's husband picked us up in the car. They drove me to my new house, where I slept for the very first time. Very strange, but at the same time strangely familiar and comfortable.

A few days have gone by now, and the house is more and more like a home. The ground floor is not yet finished, so I don't have a kitchen yet, but soon enough...

Stay tuned for my next posting, which will be the literature review on my topic of choice for my paper, which will be on user-generated e-published content (like this blog, for instance). I am still formulating exactly which angle to explore, but I expect that as I read current journal articles it will crystallize. Writing this blog has given me much food for thought, of course.

Until then, my dear friends and family, goodnight and much love to all.