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Nicole Plowman
I’m constantly asked by visiting friends and family what are the “must-dos” in London, particularly for first-time visitors, so I thought I’d make a London Travel Guide of my top stops for first-timers. One of the perks of living in the heart of England is its proximity to London. And one of the perks of being an American living in England is that everyone who visits wants us to meet in London! London is easily one of my favourite cities in the world, full of history, culture, architecture, events, and – who are we kidding…
Life can be chaotic for all of us. I think we’ve all been in that position where we feel like we’ve overcommitted, are completely unorganized, and feel like we’re hanging on by a thread. No, just me? I didn’t think so. When we moved to England, I made a commitment to myself to focus on the really important things to me. I had a huge advantage in that I was starting completely anew – new house, new job, new hobbies, new friendships. For me, it was definitely a process of rebuilding, rather than stripping back on what…
Last week was a great one, but so SO busy. I ended up getting pulled into a last-minute meeting in London on Thursday, which completely disrupted my work plan for both Thursday and Friday. But it was totally worth it – 1, because LONDON. And 2, because the meeting was really productive and completely worth the trip. We got to stop by Elan Cafe (where this photo is from), and it was everything an Instagrammer could dream of. I loved their “definition” of Elan – (n.) distinctive and stylish elegance; impulsive, confident ardour. I’ll be…
Today marks the second anniversary of the day we landed in the UK to start our new adventure living abroad. It’s like my own personal New Year’s. You may recall I summarized Year One with “Seven Lessons Learned in a Year Abroad,” so I thought I’d do something similar to mark Year Two. While this one isn’t titled by lessons – instead, I’m using events and occasions – there are hundreds of lessons that presented themselves this year. Let me tell you, I’m in agreement every other expat blog, living abroad changes your world – and your…
It’s been a whole year since I stepped on a one-way flight, shipped my belongings and dogs, and moved my life to the UK. Some moments, it feels like I’ve been here a lifetime; other times, it still feels like I’m finding my way. More often than not, I feel really at peace – with our home, our lifestyle, and the direction we’ve taken our lives. These past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on where we were just a year ago (thanks, Facebook memories), and it’s been tough to think back on how difficult…
Continuing from Pageant Series, Part 1: Intro to the Miss America Organization Exactly eight years ago, I was standing onstage during the Miss America Pageant, live on national television, when they called my name into the top 15. (We’ll ignore the fact that at time of writing, I’m eating Nutella on my couch while my two dogs are begging for a bite). By the end of the night, Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia, was crowned Miss America amidst thunderous applause and drifting confetti. What is most unfortunate for the television audience is that they don’t…
I thought I’d share a little something I found particularly interesting as of late, regarding the power of the energies we put out in the world. I’ve made an effort in the past 10 years to write down my goals. Some goals are much easier to write than others, because I find that when they’re written in pen, it’s so much more permanent. Then if I fail or get derailed, it’s so much harder to go back to that goal and cross it out or amend it. But I do…
Today, Martin and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary. In some cases, it feels like the time has flown by; in others, it feels like we’ve been together forever. We met in a motorhome in the middle of Ohio at one of Martin’s races that I was attending with a friend, and at first, we completely wrote each other off because of baseless stereotypes. But the more we interacted over the weekend, the more we clicked. Looking back, we both say that early on in the relationship, there was an uncanny sense of comfort around each other…
What I love most about September is this feeling of new beginnings. It’s like a second round of New Year’s Resolutions. I’m sure it’s stemmed from all those “beginning of the school year” feelings, where you get to reinvent yourself each year for your new classmates. Moving to a different country has given me many of these same feelings – a new beginning, a fresh start, a slate wiped clean. And yes, I know I’ve been here for 7 months technically, but I suppose I feel like I’m at the point now where it’s…
Competing in Miss America is an experience like no other. Quite literally thousands of women a year compete to be one of the 52 who grace the stage of the Miss America competition, held once a year in Atlantic City, NJ in September. For those who are new followers, you may not know, but I got my chance to compete as Miss Indiana 2009. I competed in what are known as “The Vegas Years,” when Miss America moved from it’s September in Atlantic City routine to host the pageant in January in Las Vegas. As a…
