by Brittany Bland

It was so COLD! I knew that temperatures got to below freezing but I had no idea that this formidable blast would, seep through my clothing and into my bones. My only comfort was that sweet embrace of nicotine. I lit a cigarette and began our The Neighborhood Tour. We walked down what seemed to be a labyrinth of streets leading to an endless barrage of parks and office buildings. Each street was enclosed by Neoclassical and Georgian homes. You would turn a corner and a blast of icy wind funneled by the surrounding buildings would whip you in the face. Do not let Linda Kesler's harmless appearance fool you. My impression of The Neighborhood Tour was that we were going to take a leisurely stroll around our area. But Linda's seemingly bondless energy and speed soon proved me wrong, "the best way to beat jet lag is to stay out in the sunshine and fresh air," she cheerily shouts over her shoulder wearing a large grin while I struggle to keep up.

If our goal was to get lost then we succeeded. We walked for what seemed forever. This did not make me happy because not only had I not slept for almost two days but also The COLD never left my consciousness. Linda led us to a square with a lovely garden, Euston station which is conveniently only 2 minutes away, the local pub, The Royal George, praise The Maker, Marks and Spencer or M&S, a grocery store, and the ATM. All very useful information. The Cold! This may make it seem like the neighborhood tour was awful. The amazing thing is that despite The COLD, the jet lag, and what I couldn't identify at first but later turned out to be hunger, I had a good time. It was my first day in London and nothing not even The Cold would stop me but more importantly nothing would stop Linda Kesler.