Expat Life
It’s been exactly three months since I’ve moved to the UK. I’m nearly settled in (except for our non-existent kitchen) and have a weekly routine now. Slowly but surely, the UK is becoming my home. I have definitely not been blogging as much as I want to nor as much as I should to keep everyone in the US updated, but it honestly hasn’t been a priority since I’ve been here. There are so many other daily challenges to navigate, and since half of my job is now creating verbal content, sometimes I feel…
At last, I’ve found time to sit down to write and update you all on our move. We’ve been pedal to the metal checking items off the list, like picking up my Biometrics Residence Permit, applying for a National Insurance Number, overseeing a kitchen extension and renovation, and learning to drive and gathering some independence here. The dogs have been adjusting well. We’re currently staying at my in-laws’ home while we wait on the shipping container with our belongings to be delivered. They have a good bit of land and several…
I’m currently sitting in the British Airways lounge before my first one-way flight. Whoa. I had envisioned this moment so many times before today, wondering how I would feel. I assumed I’d be a nervous wreck, honestly. But right now, doing a full check of my emotions, the biggest source of my stress is hoping my pups are okay (shout out to PetMovers) because they are family. This past week, I was supposed to judge the Distinguished Young Women of Indiana program in Kokomo, Indiana, but on Wednesday night during the judges…
I find English to be a fascinating language, a combination of roots of different languages with variations in meaning depending on context. As the news of our move is shared, I hear people exclaim, “You’re moving to England? That’s terrific!” Really, I couldn’t think of a better word to describe how I feel. Terrific (adv), 1. magnificent, 2. exciting fear or awe. Derived from Latin terrificus, to frighten The reality of me leaving hit hard this week. I was so excited when my new Erin Condren Life…
My best friend Audra (and the maid of honor in our wedding) lives in Orlando, and every time I visit, there is never a shortage of things to do. Even better, she used to work for Disney and has tons of connections, so when we wanted to do formal tea at the Grand Floridian last minute, she made a phone call and made it happen. We arrived early to walk around the hotel. For those who haven’t been, Disney’s Grand Floridian is styled after Victorian era Florida. At the time, the railway was…
A new calendar year for me has always been the time to reflect on the year past and bring change to the year ahead. This past year, Martin and I were (finally!) married and adopted our new dog Tucker. We made 2016 a celebration of our new life as husband and wife; we married in America in January and had our wedding blessing in England in July. This year we spent a collective four months apart due to Martin’s racing career, and he has been making strong impressions in the sports car and coaching worlds. In 2017, Martin will…
