Hip Agony

I have a trip planned to the UK next weekend. The original plan was to stay with my old host parents for a couple days before going up to Cambridge to visit some friends studying up there. My host parents had really wanted to see me so I had planned the trip really to see them, only to see I had the time for a somewhat longer trip and could get two birds with one stone by seeing friends and making it to Cambridge for the first time. So far so good.

Well last Wednesday I got an e-mail from my English host mom telling me that my English host father was going to have to have a hip replacement that weekend and that they wouldn't be able to host me. She phrased it if I could now head up to Cambridge earlier. All fine and well, except I have nowhere to stay at Cambridge until Saturday, and now no place to stay elsewhere in the UK either (does complaining about this make me a horrible person?). Grumble.

So have been more or less scrambling since then. It doesn't help that I suffer from travel anxiety (freaking out a bit if I don't have everything in order). I have been trying to stay with other friends in the greater London area, which makes me feel super awkward as it is sort of late notice and I really don't like imposing. So far no luck. I could stay at a hotel, but I don't know where would be a good place to stay/at the end of my year abroad I am a little short on funds and London is not known for its affordability.

To make thing worse, I haven't heard back from the person I am supposed to be staying with in Cambridge, which under normal circumstances wouldn't be an issue, but with my general state of confusion and travel anxiety is a little worrying.

Sigh. I just don't know if I should cancel the trip and get back some of the money from the flight or bravely push ahead.

[Poster's note: image of hip replacement above = creepy]