Family

After returning home from our vacation, going to a Blitzen Trapper concert, a Rocket Summer concert, and taking two finals, my family arrived. Travel was not kind to them and they had an endeavor getting across the ocean. But that seems to be the true Krob style. Nothing is ever just easy and simple. There has to be a monkey wrench. And that was true for this trip. Eagerly awaiting their arrival, Steph and I packed up our things and got ready to leave. As we sat in our bare rooms, we heard the doorbell ring.

Standing at the door was my sister, my dad, my mom, and a crutch. I must say, it was a truly odd feeling seeing such familiar faces in such a different setting. For we had gone months without seeing them and now they were in our study abroad home? We weren't in Iowa City, we were in Hull. OUR Hull. Needless to say it was pretty cool as we invited them in to show our humble abode.

After the quick tour of the house and a long series of catching up, we began the night’s activities. We took them around our Hull campus and showed them everything we knew so dearly; from the Union Pub where all our soccer was watched to the buildings where we mindlessly listened to lectures. We even stopped by the store to pick up some fresh apparel. Our energy was soon to fade, however, as jet lag and time differences quickly set in on the 3. Psh. Rookies. Regardless, we took them to our first ever pub: the Old Grey Mare. The food is mediocre and the prices are great and it was close enough for them to eat and go back and sleep. Nevermind the fact that it was about 7 p.m. England time.

The next day we ate breakfast with them before leaving for our final final. Ironic, I know. Once completed, we met up with our family to head to the city center. For the first time in England, we rode there in a car! As Joe drove on the opposite side of the road, we sat quietly trying to pretend it didn't feel completely foreign. We made it there in one piece, however, after stopping at the guitar shop and a post office. Once there, we shopped around a little and showed them the downtown to Hull. Tonight's dinner was at Barracudas; a favorite of Steph and I's. We had already stopped at Copland’s to get some English pastries but we still had enough room in our stomachs for dessert. After dinner was when the true fun began.

Not knowing how English parking garages worked, we were in for a surprise. As we walked towards the entrance to the ramp, we realized it was closed and the sign read that it was only until 6 p.m. Assuming that this was only for entering cars, we walked around to the exit. Low and behold, it was gated as well. Sitting in the office though was a worker. As we approached him, he asked, "Is it your car?" to which Steph asked him to repeat himself. He then said, "The silver car?" Not just if it was one of the cars. He was asking if our car was THE car. In a full-size parking ramp. We walked in and there was one car. Our silver car. And no others. I guess now we know if a parking ramp closes at 6:00, you better not show up at 8:30 or risk looking pretty daft. Once we made it home, Emmanuel had invited over our friends to meet the family. For the rest of the night we all hung out with ROARy, Emmanuel, Mathias, and Sam and discussed everything from WW2 to soccer.

The next day was to be spent outside of Hull. Heading to London, we expected a long day of travel but were unfortunately presented with a longer journey than originally thought. Crazy English roads provided us with countless roundabouts and carsickness for me. Eventually we made it though and were pleased to be staying at an amazing accommodation. The place was a two-story apartment fully furnished and completely awesome. It even had a spiral staircase! The location was a bit strange, but it was right next to a tube stop. The tube would not suffice the first night, however, seeing as how we needed to get to a show and were already running late.
Needing quick transportation, we decided to take a taxi. This was a good choice and it got us to Les Miserables in the knick of time. This was unfortunate though, as missing the show probably would have been a better experience for me. Of the 5 of us, however, I was the only one that felt this way. My feelings were no surprise though considering I don’t like musicals. It was still neat to see that side of England.

Waking up, we left the theater and walked through the gay district in search of Nando’s for some food. It was about 10:30 though and they thus only allowed take out orders. Hungry and desperate, we ordered food and ate it on the street. A car of drunken kids drove by and yelled, “Are you having fun?!” Yes. We were.

The next day was when our true London journey began. We hopped up at the crack of dawn to catch the first double decker tour bus through the city. It was a lot of fun, but the bitter English weather made our decision to sit in the open-topped upper compartment a mistake. The bus didn’t provide unique moments, but rather a nice overview of a massive city. A way to see all the sights in an hour. At the end of the tour, we went to the changing of the guards…which amounted to be nothing more than a mass of tourists as you strained to see some furry hats. We left 10 minutes later.

It was now time to split up, as Joe wanted different things than the family. He hopped back on a bus and we headed towards speakers corner. After listening to morons preach the second coming of Christ and the problems of America, we went to a pub for a true English experience: watching soccer. Today was an international game having England playing Japan and the pub we found was not a hotspot for watching the game. There were few fans but great food. We got a Sunday roast and watched England limp to a 2-1 victory.

After the game, we headed across town to meet up with Joe who had gone to the Imperial War Museum. And no, he did not walk there despite what he thought. Becky and Stephanie sat outside as Joe, Steph, and I went in and explored the Holocaust exhibit. Great exhibit. Then it was off for burgers and then Buckingham Palace before returning to our luxurious apartment.

Last on our itinerary was Brighton: the gay-friendly coastal beach town centered around its tacky pier. Once there we simply enjoyed the youthful energy of such a cheesy place and played arcade games and ate waffles on a stick. Becky, Steph, and Stephanie even put their feet in the channel! Ask Becky what the highlight was? Dinner at the great Italian restaurant. Overall though, Brighton was a relaxing day spent enjoying English life and recuperating before the 6-hour drive back to Hull the following day.

It’s funny how fast 6 hours go when you’re asleep. Waking up at our Hull home, we loaded up our luggage and took care of last minute things. It was difficult to say goodbye to all our friends. We gave them our emails and hoped to hear from them, but saying goodbye to people you’d grown so close to for 4 months is difficult. But we needed to head home. So, potato masher in hand, we hopped in the car that was a tight fit for 5, let alone with 8 pieces of luggage. You should’ve seen Becky, Steph, and I crammed in the backseat. Thankfully Manchester was only 2 hours away.

On the way to our hotel, we stopped at a rest stop. Leaving the rest stop, Steph and I discovered something completely strange. The Krob family trip’s last stop was at the exact same place Steph and I had first stopped. When we got to Manchester the bus stopped at this random stop as well, providing us our first glimpse into English culture. It couldn’t have been more fitting stopping at this exact place before saying goodbye.

Our flight left at 6:00 a.m., which meant no sleep for me. Steph slept an hour; I preferred to save it for the flight home. And much like the 6-hour car ride, the flight went by faster than I could’ve imagined lost in my dreams. Landing in Cedar Rapids was the strangest feeling. Stepping off the plane, we were amazed. Even the vending machines with our American snacks amazed us. We bought Sun Chips. Not because either of us love them, but because they didn’t have them in England. They signaled our return to our home country. And despite our best efforts to disappear into eternity in Cinque Terre and Keswick, we knew this land, a land of corn and bad weather, was our home. Walking through the terminal, we were home. Truly home.