Flights and First Impressions

So, everything ended up perfectly, but the road getting there was a rough one. I arrived in Chicago nearly 4.5 hours later than planned and had to try to board another plane going to London. After much waiting and hoping, I was the pleasant recipient of one business class ticket to London. I've never flown anything other than the basic seating; after the quite stressful day, it was a nice treat. I even had one of those seats that laid down completely flat. Awesome. Even so, I couldn't sleep. But I was relaxed and comfortable, which are two words I've never used in conjunction with the word "flying."

I was afraid that my baggage wouldn't make it to my final destination simply because of all the delays and rebooking mess I had to go through to get here. But even that worked out nicely; everything showed up, and in one piece! I was met at the airport and taken to my new home. I crashed into bed soon thereafter.

This morning I got up and have been strangely rested. Little to no jet lag, and I feel fine physically. This isn't usual for me when traveling internationally. But it's a more than welcome change.
I've had the opportunity to meet with some people in a home today and then I went walking around my neighborhood with my new roommate. We walked by a really big mosque and then we headed towards a market. The walk was great. I've been nothing but amazed by the city so far. It's gorgeous here, the weather is wonderful right now. Cool at night and pleasant during the day. Though from what I understand, it's soon to be getting cold. The air is surprisingly clean. Just slightly dusty, but nothing like Africa was. And pollution isn't noticeable at all; I thought it'd be more like India. The driving is calm, and far less "honky" than expected. There seems to be an air of order so that's very welcome. The cultural adjustment isn't going to be as big as it would be for some other places. So far, it's great.

My room in my house is spacious and comfortable with a generously sized bed. I even had a hot shower this morning, albeit a short lived one. I haven't really had a full on Mid Eastern meal yet, but I'll be sure to take pictures when I have my first one. The city is really gorgeous; I live at a house that's close to the top of a hill. The city is generally very hilly and my neighborhood is one of those hilly parts. It allows for a great view. This picture is taken from about 50 yards from my door. Incredible huh?
This is gonna be amazing.