Pack it up, Pack it in...Let me begin...

Oy, packing for three weeks abroad is stressful...but I am done minus the makeup and random crap I'll throw in tomorrow morning. I took my aunt's advice and took out about half of what I'd intended to take.

I have in one large suitcase, one carry-on, and a Tamrac photographer's backpack...
9 dresses (casual)
7 pairs of jeans
2 pairs shorts (hate shorts, but love dresses...)
8 shirts
3 pairs PJs
4 pairs of shoes (I am proud of this)
3 cardigan/sweater type things
2 towels and 3 washcloths (the place I'm staying recommended this :o/)
Sundry undergarments and beauty products
Camera, batteries, four lenses
iPod, Blackberry and assorted chargers
Laptop and webcam (for Skype)
Ambien
One copy each of Macbeth, Comedy of Errors, Henry VIII, Henry IV (both parts), and Little Bee
One umbrella and
A terrible case of nerves.

I have never travelled alone.
I have never been away from my children or husband for this long.
I have never navigated a major transit system (I don't think Denver's RTD and Light Rail count).
I have never performed Shakespeare.
I have never seen Big Ben, St. James, or the London Eye.
I have never sat in St. James park and listened to the locals talk as they stroll.
I have never been to a place where I am the one with the accent.
I have never stared down the famous portraits of Anne Boleyn, William Shakespeare, or Thomas Cromwell.
I have never seen the original manuscript of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
I have never stood in the Globe Theatre, partaking in a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But I will.

In which I have my first travel disappointment and address the spelling of the Bard's name...

As I planned for London, I read a fabulous book called The Six Wives of Henry the VIII by Alison Weir. In learning about homeboy's eight wives, I also learned about a Tudor palace: Hampton Court. Excited to visit some of Henry's haunts, I did the Google. In addition to visiting the palace, I was going to have the opportunity to see the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show where "Shakespeare's comedies will feature in a series of gardens...while the rose marquee will take on a Midsummer Night's Dream theme." I planned to visit during the magical hour of light (the hour surrounding sunset) and take pictures to satiate my growing addictions to both photography and Tudor England.

In a fit of excitement, I bought the tickets early and had them shipped to me. Just a week ago, I received my course schedule for the program in which I am participating. Alas...the very night I'd planned my excursion de fleur I have to be a groundling at The Globe for a performance of Henry IV, Part I. (I know, I know...terrible alternative.) I called over to the UK hoping and praying for a transferable ticket but, alas, it was not to be. (Side note: It is really so much more pleasant to be told 'no' in the lilting, lovely accent of a British woman.) I shall have to shell out another $22 if I want to see Puck in the garden. The Hampton Court Palace ticket was a separate purchase, and one that (thankfully) I can use any time within seven days of the date on the ticket.

Now, as to the spelling of Mr. Shakespear, um...Shakespeare...um Shakspear? I know the spelling in the opening quote to my blog is the not the more commonly accepted 'Shakespeare.' I could explain, but instead I will just share an excerpt from Bill Bryson's Shakespeare (a fabulous read for anyone, not just Bard aficionados):
More than eighty spellings of Shakespeare's name have been recorded, from Shappere to Shaxberd. (It is perhaps worth noting that the spelling we all use is not the one endorsed by the Oxford English Dictionary, which prefers Shakspere.)

So there it is...and off I go.

Planning

This blog is for me to catalog my adventures in the UK. I am really doing this for myself, first, so that I can fully document what I experience. You are welcome to follow along. Or not.

This will be my first solo vacation, the longest I've ever been away from my hubby or kids, and my first real opportunity to practice my British accent on the locals and finally see how bad my ''Allo gub'nor' really is. My adventures will last from the 1st of July to the 24th, unless of course I am delayed or detained in any way by the still puffing Eyjafjallajokull. (What I want to know is what the Icelanders were puffing when they named that thing.)

We all know what they say about the 'best laid plans.' I am willing to accept that some of my adventures may go awry, but I hope most will not. A few of my schemes I have tucked into a little Velcro pouch--tickets purchased (or requested) ahead of time. Some read as follows:

"Invitation to Witness the Ceremony of the Keys. Time: 21:30 hrs precisely. Historic Royal Palaces: TOWER OF LONDON."
"Historic Royal Palaces: Hampton Court Palace" and the accompanying "HAMPTON COURT PALACE FLOWER SHOW: East Molesy, Surrey."
"SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE: 21 New Globe Walk, London. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM."

Now to that terrifying tube map...