Category: USA

This past week was a trip back to the U.S. It felt a bit strange going back to the U.S. as I hadn’t been for almost 5 months – my longest time ever from home. After being in England so long now I am able to appreciate what I missed in the U.S. (pumpkin EVERYTHING and driving), but also what I like about England (getting around easily without a car and the effortless 10,000 steps I manage to walk everyday).

After a long travel day Saturday, my arrival was marked by a welcome home gift basket of all things pumpkin from my mom. I had told her that it was hard to find pumpkin flavored goods in England, so I was really happy to get the gift basket. Sunday morning we made pumpkin pancakes while I sipped on my pumpkin coffee, and later in the week was pumpkin sauce pasta and pumpkin bagels.

My week started off by hosting a party for Markie’s friends to celebrate his 10th birthday. The party went really well, and as I had been feeling crafty earlier in the day I even made s’more goody bags for the kids which seemed to be a hit.

I also made sure to do the very important task of voting this year – I’m glad that I got my absentee ballot in time to send it in for free in the U.S. I’m not one to get too political on here, but I’m pretty sure as a feminist you all can guess which my direction my vote went.

Midweek was catching up with friends – I had a coffee date with my friend Rasha, and caught up with a few friends for drinks and dinner. It’s amazing how much can change in five months – new relationships, new jobs, new homes, and so much more! My parents also bought a fire pit recently so we enjoyed sitting outside and making s’mores one night.

No visit home is complete without a winery visit, so I made a trip out to my favorite winery, Fabbioli, with Lauren and Matt. There we shared a bottle of wine, cheese, some laughs, and I bought a bottle to take back to England.

On Markie’s actual birthday, I made him pumpkin pancakes and the whole family went out to dinner that night. He claims that 10 feels no different than 9. I’m just happy he still hasn’t decided he’s too cool for me (I’m looking at you, pre-teen years).

The next day Markie and I headed to an AirBnB RV I had rented for the night in West Virginia. The RV was decked out with a comfy bed, patio eating area, fire pit and hot tub! After spending the afternoon in the hot tub, we headed to the nearby town of Shepherdstown which was really quaint. We ate dinner outside at a nice restaurant that had a stream running through it! After dinner we bought supplies for s’mores and spent the evening by the fire and then relaxing in the RV.

My trip ended with the best things – family, friends, and football. Saturday my family and I watched Virginia Tech beat North Carolina, which put Tech’s college football ranking at #17 in the country, the highest its been in a few years. Saturday night a group of my friends and I went out for drinks in Clarendon, and had a really nice time dancing and enjoying rooftop views of Arlington. Sunday was also great – the Redskins beat the Ravens, and my family and I enjoyed a sunny day with dinner outside.

I’m so glad I came home just as fall was starting, as it’s my favorite time in the year. Sadly I’ll miss the rest of fall at home, but will be back just in time for Christmas festivities, another favorite time of year of mine!

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What’s Next?

This weekend I will be heading the Lake District, a national park in north west England. The Lake District is known for its beautiful mountain and lake scenery, so I’ll be doing a bit of hiking and taking the view in.

Till next time all!

In homage to the 4th of July yesterday, I thought I’d share some of the things I miss about America.

Patriotism

Being openly proud about your country is a very American trait, while the English are far more reserved about it. We wear, decorate with, and fly the U.S. flag and colors without a second thought, which is not as frequently done here. English people also don’t have an equivalent of the Pledge of Allegiance, and they only play their national anthem at some major sporting events (versus the U.S. where we play ours for almost every event – sports and others).

“Big” houses, more space

I wasn’t expecting homes in London to be very big; I certainly know I downsized when I moved here. But even outside the city, homes in England aren’t very big in general – I have found the rooms in some to be quite small and they aren’t as into the ‘open layout’ concept that we see a lot more of in the U.S. For all my DC area friends, the McMansions that we are used to are definitely rarely present in England. I’m not sure this is necessarily a bad thing (less is more?), but I also wonder where they put all their stuff!

Keurig machine and Coffeemate coffee creamer

Keurig machine, I miss you so. Keurig machines are not really present in England, and while I could have brought my own, I also wouldn’t be able to easily buy the k-cups to insert into them here. I also really miss Coffeemate coffee creamer. English people either use powder creamer, or milk… so no Hazelnut or French Vanilla or Pumpkin Spice creamer for me anymore (so sad).

Bar culture

There is pub culture in England, but its not like American bar culture because nobody talks to you! In a pub you stick to talking to the people you went with for the most part; it would be weird to approach someone else there to strike up a conversation. Pubs also tend to have a more relaxed atmosphere than the busyness of a bar, and many are family-friendly.

Country bars and music

I love my country music. But for all my Northern Virginia people, I definitely have found myself missing Nick’s Nightclub in Alexandria. Country karaoke, country bands, and line dancing are not really found even in a city like London (although I did find some country bands on the 4th of July weekend after searching them out!).

Wineries

England has a few wineries – nowhere near the amount we had in Northern Virginia and none of which are particularly close to London. For anyone who knows me, one of my favorite activities is to spend a lazy afternoon sampling wines and having a picnic at a winery. Thus far since moving, I’ve visited only one winery when I went to Spain, and my friend Miriam and I recently went to a wine and cheese tasting at a hotel in London. I’m hoping to visit some more wine-oriented destinations in the future though (and when I visit home!).

Tailgating

Tailgating is not really a concept in England; they’ll go to the pub before a game but they don’t do cookouts and drink in the parking lot before sporting events and country concerts like we do.

And lastly… my family and friends!

I was really, really lucky to have a great group of friends at home. I also have never lived very far from my immediate family, so that was an adjustment when moving. I’m grateful that so many people have kept in touch with me and made an effort to see me when I was home, and I’ve also been lucky enough to have a few visitors as well (everyone is welcome!).