Landed

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Such a long absence,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I've needed time to sift the events, </div><div style="text-align: center;">the thoughts, the feelings in my mind<br /><br />While in the UK,<br />I had no idea what my reflections would reveal from this side of the move...<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAic9EjbmPFZHdST6FK-wfJgAB2qr4FD5sQaZgDpmIhS-e5XzH40kZIa-npZuStKFHKjopvP1uAth3Kaj76sIEmFus76VaW2iwC1m9bVG2zex4QgTBuQv_iP1B1SYTlz6oDx6pYaF_9S1T/s1600/10494801_10202948862735348_8044306423667349667_n-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAic9EjbmPFZHdST6FK-wfJgAB2qr4FD5sQaZgDpmIhS-e5XzH40kZIa-npZuStKFHKjopvP1uAth3Kaj76sIEmFus76VaW2iwC1m9bVG2zex4QgTBuQv_iP1B1SYTlz6oDx6pYaF_9S1T/s1600/10494801_10202948862735348_8044306423667349667_n-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Heathrow Airport</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our move back to the US was a rocky one with unforeseeable mishaps:<br /><br />- all our checked-in luggage was 'lost' for one very long week</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- tracking online, we saw Hurricane Arthur pass over the ship that carried our house contents<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- our pets were delayed in US customs due to a bomb threat evacuation</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">- and more things broke than ever in this move</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Feeling like we were starring in 'The Truman Show', we can laugh about it now<br />Sort of :)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHPPeK3GVRY65nTLuRoAyrQwPLSf5X7Whh-EwQ56FpPP7xvMBRk-nxpF4yHiyS6moldUevJkJirSBr5qeMO-C1K-Wh5PGXWYz2zk0rBc3mmREUzwVkXKh3w3HhgTB1WdkRz-8bIpzoKQe/s1600/DSC02895-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHPPeK3GVRY65nTLuRoAyrQwPLSf5X7Whh-EwQ56FpPP7xvMBRk-nxpF4yHiyS6moldUevJkJirSBr5qeMO-C1K-Wh5PGXWYz2zk0rBc3mmREUzwVkXKh3w3HhgTB1WdkRz-8bIpzoKQe/s1600/DSC02895-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Surprisingly,</div><div style="text-align: center;">those first weeks in the US I didn't miss England</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I felt sad that France was less accessible<br />(go figure!)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now, I often find myself lost in reminiscing about England</div><div style="text-align: center;">- London, birdsong, public footpaths, picturesque villages, </div><div style="text-align: center;">our beautiful drive to school, friends -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It feels like I broke up with a boyfriend I loved dearly</div><div style="text-align: center;">but now I need to move on<br /><br />They say the longer you stay abroad,<br />the longer it takes to resettle back 'home'<br /><br />So we felt it was the right time to leave,<br />especially for the kids</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Living in the UK was a dream come true with the opportunities it provided,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the lifelong friendships created,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the growth that would have been difficult<br />to achieve had we never left the US<br /><br />We have no regrets about raising our kids abroad<br />during some of their formative years<br /><br />I can't wait to hear their reflections when they are older<br /> and see how it molded them as people<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSVurNFGvFxe-eJFZ1hv6bQGWhvN2gfurQsOF5xCCBE0ccp6_2sKhYoYIJAfH-UQLxMJTCtZS6C3yToWzBdMDgKmnF3XpgJohoIZGPwImFkJPXmI1lvms06IvcsZ7mhs5StrDIfDeUAn_/s1600/DSC02873-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSVurNFGvFxe-eJFZ1hv6bQGWhvN2gfurQsOF5xCCBE0ccp6_2sKhYoYIJAfH-UQLxMJTCtZS6C3yToWzBdMDgKmnF3XpgJohoIZGPwImFkJPXmI1lvms06IvcsZ7mhs5StrDIfDeUAn_/s1600/DSC02873-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now I feel we are entering not a new chapter in life,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but a whole new book</div><div style="text-align: center;">where everything feels foreign </div><div style="text-align: center;">in this US timezone I've never lived in before<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unexpectedly, </div><div style="text-align: center;">I exhaled when we moved back to the US where the laws make sense to me</div><div style="text-align: center;">(subconsciously a tiny part of me was afraid I'd break an English law I didn't know about)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I felt a tiny bit vulnerable and self-conscious about being a foreigner</div><div style="text-align: center;">My accent would always label me 'The American'<br />no matter how long we lived in the UK<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And there was so much I didn't understand on a deeper level:<br />processes, cultural references, mindset</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel like we belong here,</div><div style="text-align: center;">although we don't yet belong<br /><br />I imagine it will take a while before we feel we live here,<br />not just visiting<br /><br /><div>With some local day trips around the area,</div><div>I am starting to see what is here</div><div>rather than what is not<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbMuOPZCqvVwU2Qm5vTAYaAssPIxuFLQFClKHIcrdaOHd65WsADLWMGbOwi2V3Xp_Z7PEXpzERJxyOuORmPgxTMqfL0Mskji6MQBfbXY4JfT4nQnhbGUHEPRk6CCMKYkXQpSPX9Wu0d3x/s1600/DSC02498-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbMuOPZCqvVwU2Qm5vTAYaAssPIxuFLQFClKHIcrdaOHd65WsADLWMGbOwi2V3Xp_Z7PEXpzERJxyOuORmPgxTMqfL0Mskji6MQBfbXY4JfT4nQnhbGUHEPRk6CCMKYkXQpSPX9Wu0d3x/s1600/DSC02498-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nowadays</div><div style="text-align: center;">I still walk up to my car with a moment of hesitation</div><div style="text-align: center;">- do I get in on the right side or the left? -</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I'm occasionally surprised when I hear American accents</div><div style="text-align: center;">(as I often thought in England, 'oh, visitors!')<br /><br />It took a while to shake the nagging low-grade worry from the UK<br />that I might not find a parking spot I can fit into<br />or that I might not have proper change to buy a parking ticket</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here, I'm surprised strangers ask me where I'm from</div><div style="text-align: center;">because they detect an accent, they say</div><div style="text-align: center;">(which must be a slight difference in intonation or word choice)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But then due to a lack of English accent,</div><div style="text-align: center;">people are confused when I say I moved here from England</div><div style="text-align: center;">so I must say 'I moved here after living in England for 4 years'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The 'English' part of me feels that answer is way too wordy and </div><div style="text-align: center;">divulges more personal information than I want to part with,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but that is where the follow up questions lead anyway<br />so down that road I follow<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5i1RZK-yb6wxnXDUyHvbsvrNdWvnesccZfbBGY77TM9t3f00_W9-cvPOoTFQjyqzOetuMaPwIchJFS9bOo-IcFEXN4zIZ5EqCqikts6WQzLaCKz0oVE0XVJhDHWe06WxfTgPWRph59ZY/s1600/DSC02524-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5i1RZK-yb6wxnXDUyHvbsvrNdWvnesccZfbBGY77TM9t3f00_W9-cvPOoTFQjyqzOetuMaPwIchJFS9bOo-IcFEXN4zIZ5EqCqikts6WQzLaCKz0oVE0XVJhDHWe06WxfTgPWRph59ZY/s1600/DSC02524-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Having lived in 4 houses over the last 5 years,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I find myself hesitating to spend money on this house in case we move again<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Although we bought this house without intentions of moving,</div><div style="text-align: center;">that nomadic life of 'we might need to pick up and go' still lingers</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I have loved decorating our new 1950's house</div><div style="text-align: center;">All my bottled up creative decorating energy has been released</div><div style="text-align: center;">and it feels good to stretch those legs that have been in rental houses for the last few years<br /><br /><div>Lately I discovered some fantastic home decor blogs</div><div>which provide daily visual inspiration<br />and I have tidied up how I receive blogs through <a href="http://www.unroll.me/">UnrollMe</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Internet shopping has allowed me to put the house together fairly quickly,</div><div style="text-align: center;">which has been crucial for feeling settled<br /><br /><div>To set up house, we bought new electronics and appliances with US plugs<br />With the benefits of streaming and downloads,<br />we won't buy a DVD player or stereo system this time around<br /><br /></div><div>I still need to shed the scarves and sweaters for a warmer weather wardrobe</div><div>And I must buy a pair of sunglasses!</div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest change I've noticed from living in the US 4 years ago</div><div>is the technological advances:</div><div><br /></div><div>iPads have replaced some cash registers<br /><br /></div><div>Some businesses accept Google Wallet for transactions<br /><br /></div><div>Slide your credit card at the gate when you enter a parking garage<br /><br />Simple mops and brooms are hard to find<br /><br /></div><div>And even soft drink dispensers have a new look<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTJyDxkHiPdHD5XIcYGUStuV4a6DPRbU_uhrJWX73z2-Qm1x-wjTGk6DcqXB0zNfz9TJOg8i00vxnmcrilltpGhaDfXEJ2VPmONgwka9tMmk2Ka3BtDU7YkyhoWZ8Y_nnp-ltPIIvcrWL/s1600/photo+3-029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDTJyDxkHiPdHD5XIcYGUStuV4a6DPRbU_uhrJWX73z2-Qm1x-wjTGk6DcqXB0zNfz9TJOg8i00vxnmcrilltpGhaDfXEJ2VPmONgwka9tMmk2Ka3BtDU7YkyhoWZ8Y_nnp-ltPIIvcrWL/s1600/photo+3-029.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you must know,<br />I can't get enough iced tea!<br /><br />And not to brag,<br />but I can get a week's worth of laundry done in half a day<br />(happy!)<br /><br />It is refreshing to have the sounds of American football<br />on the TV all weekend, not just at dinner time<br /><br />And we're back to<br />going to professional baseball games<br />with yummy oversized brats and sauerkraut<br /><br />Proudly I now have <b>another</b> driver's license under my belt<br />(needless to say, it was much easier than the 3-part test in England)<br /><br />Nonetheless<br />I naturally I have my intense 'missing England days'<br />and I would visit again in a heartbeat<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST1JirpQAhyphenhyphenfYpo60hW-fg7KxtwKs-9QAr_8SCwqeKgTAwDeFhYB-ayoxfAEK5M8GAAJQLuxm0c7ZAw_-o5M2FPvKeli6TBUTOwhIFs5ucmCh5YUeQxELOlswMdboMr72_ZxAojtwDc7F/s1600/photo+3-028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgST1JirpQAhyphenhyphenfYpo60hW-fg7KxtwKs-9QAr_8SCwqeKgTAwDeFhYB-ayoxfAEK5M8GAAJQLuxm0c7ZAw_-o5M2FPvKeli6TBUTOwhIFs5ucmCh5YUeQxELOlswMdboMr72_ZxAojtwDc7F/s1600/photo+3-028.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Blogging was an integral part of my experience in England</div><div style="text-align: center;">as it motivated me to do and see more</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It has been an amazing experience to e-know so many of you</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I even met some virtual blogging friends face-to-face</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While I intend to keep this blog online</div><div style="text-align: center;">(still thousands of pageviews weekly!),</div><div style="text-align: center;">the title of my blog lends itself to stay in the UK</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One day I might start up a new blog</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I haven't identified something I really want to get down on paper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So for now,<br />thank you so much for reading<br /><br />My heart is happy we connected somehow<br />in this crazy internet world</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />I love you guys!<br />Wishing you all the best</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- all photos my own -</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; 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Landed

Such a long absence, I know I've needed time to sift the events,  the thoughts, the feelings in my mind While in the UK, I had no idea w...

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