The Ash Has Passed! U.S.A Bound!

Who would have thought I would ever live in a place where air traffic was at a COMPLETE standstill due to a volcanic ash cloud?   And...in case you are having trouble pronouncing the Icelandic volcano's name, check out this video.  Its been quite a news adventure here in the United Kingdom, but it sounds like the ash has passed, and we can now travel freely again.  

I am headed to New York, North Carolina, and Las Vegas over the course of this next month, and while I am so excited to see my family and friends, I really will miss this place.  That's hard to admit, considering the mess of a time we have had with the house we live in, getting unpacked, and trying to have all appliances functioning, as expected, at the same time - hasn't happened yet.

It's been difficult because there is a level of customer service, a sense of urgency and the "get in done now" mentality that we have in the States, that really is lacking in the UK.  Things take much longer to get repaired and no one is really concerned with our issues, the way we want them to be at least.

There have been days these past few weeks, where it really was not easy or fun at all.  There were days when we both have said and thought "What in the Hell were we thinking moving here?!?".  There have been days when we forgot about the awesome opportunity we have here and focused solely on the things that were going wrong.  Being the ultimate optimist, this is not what I would normally recommend, and sometimes it takes both of us to pull ourselves back on track and focus on all of the amazing things we have going on in our lives (living/working abroad, home finally rented out in NC!, traveling the world together, wedding in 5 months) - there are so many life experiences that we are getting to share together - and we try our best to remember that on those days when nothing here in the UK seems to go our way.

While its been tough some days to adjust, there is no one else in this world I would want to share this experience with, and there is no other place I would rather be than in Cambridge, UK where the plumbing sucks, internet is unreliable and the food can be rather bland :)

I would like to ask whoever reads this blog to remember this on your tough days - it really doesn't matter where we live, or how much $ we make, we each have our WTF days, and its ok to have them and to feel that way.  But, its important when those days arrive, we remember the awesome opportunities that have come our way, the amazing people that we are so fortunate to have in our lives, and the funny/sad/adventurous/inspiring stories we create AND live everyday!  I, for one, cannot wait to tell our children about our time abroad.

I look forward to my travels over this next month, but oddly enough this crazy place is starting to feel like "home" to me, and I look forward to returning here in a month! Of course, I do hope all the repairs are made before I return!

Safe travels in your daily journeys and adventures :)

Brussels, Bruges, Ghent Trip Report

Here is a trip report i posted and some photos from our latest journey...my reflections to follow in next post :)

We spent a 3-day weekend in Brussels last week, we loved it! Here is what we did:

Day 1:

We took the Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels at 620am, so we arrived Brussels very early Friday morning. Leaving the train station was easy, exchanged some pounds for euros, and quickly caught a taxi outside of the station. We stayed at the Marriott in the city center, near the Bourse (see my hotel review for more on Marriott). After arriving, we checked in, took a quick nap, then headed out to explore:

Walking from Marriott, we passed the Bourse, then headed to Grand Place, b/c of limited time, we didn't do any of the museums, but we did spend time in Grand Place using a tour book we had to read about the different buildings (hotel de ville, maison du roi, le renard, maison des ducs de brabarrt, le cornet, maison des brasseurs, maison de boulangers). We also looked to find the swan and fox in the grand place also.

From there we headed down rue charles blus, and rubbed the statue of everard 't serclaes for good luck! After passing the statue, we popped into Dandoy and purchased some biscuits to munch on over the weekend and saw the mannekin-pis. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch, and found the eglise saint-nicolas for a quick photo and also took some photos around the place saint gery. From there, we walked back toward grand place down the rue de bouchers(which is pretty cool) and ended up at the galeries royales de saint - hubert and did some window shopping and went into agora place where we took a photo of the statue of charles buls, had a waffle, and then purchased a smal box of chocolates from Leonidas. i also purchased a lace handkerchief for my wedding day while we were out. after this we were pretty exhausted, we ate dinner later that night at a great argentinean restaurant just off of the grand place, took some awesome night time photos in the grand place and enjoyed the great weather.

saturday - we woke up, grabbed a quick breakfast, and toook train to bruges - we LOVED this day - its worth it, really. after leaving the train station, we walked down the main road and stopped at the begijnhof - this is definitely a place to see, its so peaceful. we walked through the museum which was great also. at the exit, are some great photo ops of the river also.

from there we headed into town, we first went into the Church of Our Lady, where we saw Michaelangelo's Madonna and Child, and some other very nice artwork, this was a nice stop. after this we headed toward the markt. once here, we checked out the belfort, we didnt climb it b/c the line was quite long and our time was limited. we grabbed lunch in at a place around the markt and just took in the sites. we took briedalstraat (the st that connects burg to the markt) and arrived at the burg. we took in the sites here and read about each of the buildings in the square. we walked through blinde ezelstraat and took some more great photos along the river, grabbed a waffle and headed to the train station.

we took the train from bruges to ghent, but i have to tell you that our time in ghent was VERY limited. we walked around some and saw some of the main buildings in the city, but the construction in the city while we were there was horrendous - so many of the paths we needed to walk to get to places were through construction sites, so it didnt make for great photos and i am sure it took away from the beauty of the city. after seeing bruges, we were disappointed, and i am sure also a bit tired - so we took the train back into brussels. that night we grabbed dinner at an italian restaurant called latini in st catherines place - very good food here.

sunday - we woke up and took the subway to the atomium in brussels, we didnt go into the tour b/c our time was limited but it was decent photo op. i think this whole area would be great for children, or if you have more time to spend in brussels, but if your time is very limited, i dont know if i would put it on the must see list.

we took the train back into the city and got off at the parc station, we took photos of the royal palace, walked to sablon and really explored some more of the city streets. we stopped and took photos of the st michael cathedral, grabed lunch, and one more waffle for the road :) we hung out in marriott lounge, ate our waffle and had coffee, then took a taxi back to station to head back to london!

whew! ok, so we did a lot this weekend but it never felt rushed, i really enjoyed bruges and brussels and wish that we would have a better experience in ghent, the construction really doesnt give tourists the best experience i assume.

hope this review helps people out there who are looking to spend a weekend in this cool city!

Welcome to Atlanta, Reminders From Home

Well, we arrrived safely in Atlanta, Georgia this Tuesday night, and let me just tell you, that it feels SO good to be back in the U. S. of A - and more specfically - the SOUTH!  I didn't realize how much I missed this place until we landed.  It really felt good to be back around familiar things and Southern hospitality.  It even felt great walking outside of the airport - the air is different in the South, maybe?

Little things that were so normal to us when we lived in the States have now increased in value tremendously - everything is cheaper here, people are nicer, the sun shines, and it just feels like home - I never lived in Atlanta - but I believe that living in another part of the world is making me realize how much I love that we get to call America home - no matter where else in the world we may live. 

Now, I love living in Europe - I love the newness of everything we do, I love that we can never complain that we are bored, and I love that we get to share this experience together.  I have traveled all over the world, but the feeling of when that plane's wheels touch down on a US runway, really, nothing can compare.

I want to share an article with you - something that is somehow related to everything I typed - living in different part of the world can be difficult, but it helps to have small reminders of home to help you adjust to your new surroundings - for example, watching US movies/tv when you can is a great escape.  Also, being able to get some type of US food chain, yes, even fast food is now a luxury - it all makes things seem a little bit more bareable on those tough days.

I just read this - Afghanistan military bases have decided to remove "luxuries" like Burger King, Dairy Queen and movie theatres (yes, I use Queen's English now!) from all of their bases.  I understand that this is a war zone and not a resort, but those small things probably really are a luxury for those serving there.  I know the feeling I get when we are on base in the UK shopping - just being able to purchase things from home that I cannot find anywhere else in England makes me still feel somehow "connected". 

Check out the article here

Valentine's Day - And What I Love Most

This Valentine's weekend luckily fell on a 3-day weekend, so we both finished up with work early and took the train from Cambridge to London Friday afternoon.  Once we arrived, we checked into our favorite hotel, the Renaissance Chancery Court and relaxed for a bit.  Later that night, we went to the National Gallery, as its open late on Fridays, and grabbed dinner at Thai Cafe in Trafalgar Square.  We also checked out the Olympic excitement in Trafalgar Square (2012, London!).

                                  

National Gallery

Olympic Ice Sculpture, Trafalgar Square

Saturday we woke up and headed to the Tower of London, and the Tower Bridge - great experience and everyone who visits London should see this place.  From there we grabbed lunch and took the tube back to Covent Garden - we had tickets the the matinee showing of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" starring Sanna Lathan, Phylicia Rashad, and James Earl Jones.  What a magnificent production by Debbie Allen!!  And James Earl Jones was the STAR of this play!  After the play we grabbed dinner at Sopihe's, a yummy steakhouse in the theatre district of the city.

Tower Bridge, taken from the Tower of London

Novello Theatre, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Sunday, we took  a train out to Greenwich, where we visited the local attractions like the National Maritime Museum, the Painted Hall and the Queen's House. We also  stood on the Prime Meridian and set our watches at the most accurate place on earth! We also had pretty good fajitas and margaritas at Cafe Sol  - great day, cold, but lots of fun together!

That line in between us is the Prime Meridian, and yes..that is it

Monday, we hung out on Oxford and Regent Streets - and planned our shopping adventure that's scheduled for this coming weekend, and ate lunch at Maxwell's - the best place for chicken wings we have found so far :)

I was reflecting on this trip the past few days, and while there were no flowers, balloons or teddy bears on Valentine's Day - I was surrounded by many of the things that I love - him, a cool city, things I have never experienced before, great food and drinks, and a cultural and historical lesson that I am blessed to receive.  It was a beautiful weekend and there is nothing that I would change - not even the times we got lost, couldn't decide where to eat, got caught in the rain, etc - it all made the trip special and a moment of my life that I will always cherish - I cannot wait to see what's next!

Support Our Troops

Since moving to England a week ago, I have thought a lot about the commitment that our military and their families make for us.   I did not grow up in a military family, and I always thought that while I appreciated what our military does for us every day, that I KNEW it was not something for me.  And...here I am, about to become a part of a military family!  And so far, this experience, has taught me so much about the sacrifices that are made every single day for our freedom.

It seem cliche to type "Support Our Troops" these days, but I don't think we can really overstate this.  Over this past weekend, we went to comedy show just off the military base.  Until then, I had not yet realized how young some of the people are who serve - some of these kids are not old enough to buy drinks, but are here in England away from everything that they know.  I am learning so much right now, but also becoming more appreciative everyday....

I found this poem title "The Military Wife"  - I can relate to a lot of this - not the babies, not yet...but its a good poem - check it out:

The Military Wife

The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his

sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to

be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's the matter with the

standard model?" 

The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be

completely independent, posses the qualities of both father and mother, be

a perfect hostess to four or forty with an hour's notice, run on black

coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to

carry on cheerfully, ever if she's pregnant and has the flu, and she must

be willing to move 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have six

pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head. "Six pairs of hands? No way!" 

The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we shall make other military wives to

help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell

with pride in her husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations,

beat soundly when it's over-worked and tired, and be large enough to say 'I

understand,' when she does not, and say 'I love you,' regardless." 

The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked at it closely and

sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft." 

"She might look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a

lion. You would not believe what she can endure."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the

Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with

the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to

put too much into this model." 

The Lord appeared offended at the angel's lack of confidence. What you see

is not a leak," he said. "It's a tear." 

"A tear? What is it there for?" asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "It's for joy sadness, pain, disappointment, loneliness,

pride and a dedication to all the values that she and her husband hold

dear." 

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.

The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there." 

Borrowed from the Black Knight Wives HMM

264 (REIN)

[http://www.angelfire.com/nc/BlackKnightWives/]  

you can take the girl outta the country...

You know how the saying goes!  well, this is my first time living out of the US and more importantly living outside of the South!!! I am a Southern girl to the core of my soul and there are so many things I am going to miss about living in the South (southern United States that is, not Southern UK).  I was going through some recent photos I took before I left, and came across this one that I took at a local gas station/gambling joint/convenience store in Mebane, NC - my dad frequents this place.  Its the kind of place thats both sketchy and familiar ....you know, the place that if you weren't from the area or from the south, you would NEVER even stop and ask this place for directions - but, familiar in that it felt like I had seen all of the store's patrons in similar stores across the south.

If you aren't from the South, you may not have any clue what this is, and if you are...well then, you know exactly what I'm talking about!

Pickled sausage, pickles, pickled eggs, and pickled pigs feet - for sale

Thank You.

So, this weekend, I am realizing that I am surrounded by love!  It may not be in my face every single day, and it may not come in the form of some overt sign, but I do know its there.  These past few weeks, and months preparing to move I have often wondered who would I see before I left, who would reach out, how would we say "see you later".  What I have found is that it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter HOW they show it...if they want to express their love, they will, and it will be in ways that I really could not have expected, and it means so much.

It means so much to realize that while yes, I do have an inner circle of people who I trust to support and protect me, there is also this network of people that I may not talk to on a regular basis, or see as often as I should.  They may live far away, and they may live right down the street.  None of this is really relevant, because what I do know is that this network of people is a group of people I sometimes don't think about on a daily basis, and I don't think they think about me everyday - not for personal reasons, but just...because.  And while we aren't as "connected" as we should be, thought we would be, or maybe need to be - we are connected.

One week from now, I will be in England, not gone, just in another city.  But its so nice to know there are people across this world that love me and that love may be on varying levels, and that love might not show up the way we always thought it would.  But it DOES show up, it does make itself present, and I do carry it with me where ever I go (yep, even carrying the love to England!).

Thanks to anyone who has wished me well on this journey in whatever way you have, I truly do feel the love.  And thank YOU for reading this post!