The Weekend The UK Stood Still

The following should not come as breaking news to anybody, as it's been all over the news since Thursday: a volcano in Iceland (with the extremely-easy-to-pronounce name of Eyjafjallajökull) erupted for the second time in one month, after 200 years of non-activity. The explosion has caused an ash cloud to sit over Europe, affecting air travel all across northern Europe.

Originally, it was thought that the skies would clear up within a day or so. However, as Monday approaches, planes still are not flying (especially not within the UK, as the ash is continuously being blown our way) and other modes of transportation are filling up. Traveling is becoming impossible in and out of the UK these days.

At first, I didn't care one bit about the news. I'm not traveling by plane for three weeks, so this doesn't affect me. Right?

Well, apparently not. The volcano has not stopped erupting yet. The ash is floating towards the UK. And the BBC is reporting that this could potentially continue for a month. Wait, a month? But...I'm supposed to fly home in four weeks.

Students' parents who were planning to visit London have had their flights (and therefore their visits) canceled as a result of the eruption. Martin, our professor and the head of AHA went to Portland, Oregon last week and is probably still stranded somewhere in the US, unable to return to the UK until the air ban has been lifted. Students planning to travel this weekend had flights canceled, and other students (fortunately nobody from AHA) studying in London are stranded in other parts of Europe, unable to return to the UK and to their classes.

I'm still not terribly concerned; I'm not trying to fly anywhere until May, when I have a cheap flight to Norway booked. I'm still hanging on to the hope that the airspace will clear up this week. I wouldn't even mind missing my Norway weekend - but dangit Eyjafjallajökull, you had better not get between me and my home!