Greetings from across the pond. Our family is now officially settled in to our home in Cambridge. We arrived weary but full of wonder after a relatively smooth night of travel. This was Daisy's first flight and she did great, sleeping most of the way and spending the rest of the time snacking and putting her headphones on and off, on and off. I always chuckle a little when I see great big lists of things to pack for kids on an airplane. The less I have to carry the better. The novelty of flight is still enough to keep my kids entertained, along with an over-abundance of snacks and their very own in-seat screen and we were good to go.
Seeing the welcome sign as we descended the escalator into London Heathrow I felt overcome with gratitude and awe to be coming back to a place so near and dear to my heart with my own little family. I haven't been here in 15 years but it still felt a bit like coming home. We arranged a car service to take us the nearly 2 hours further to Cambridge and our house. We assumed correctly T.J. wouldn't want to attempt driving on the left side for the first time after zero hours of sleep. I tried to stay awake during the drive and anxiously kept my fingers crossed that when we pulled into the driveway of our rental home it would live up to my very high hopes and expectations. It's not the first, or even the second home we've secured sight-unseen and I knew we could make due with most things for just 6 months, but I had created quite the fantasy in my head and hyped it up to nervous kids promising them it would be special.
I am happy to say we have not be disappointed! It's even better than I hoped. Charming and quirky, with winding hallways, creaky wooden floors and bright windows and doors opening up into a beautiful garden. We did a quick explore of each room before throwing everyone into beds and passing out for several hours. T.J. rose first and being the wonderful reliable husband he is, set off to find the bank and start the process of getting a UK account established. No small feat it turns out. The rest of us slowly dragged ourselves out of bed, re-dressed and then we were ready to find a bite to eat.
Over the next few days we tried 2 more pubs within walking distance, trying to narrow down our favorite one. We also began figuring out the bus system, the kids new favorite mode of transportation, particularly when they can sit on the top. On our first excursion into the city center we had lunch at Nandos, a reliable old favorite of mine, then popped into the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology for a peak. It was amazingly free and full of unexpected treasures found right under the city of Cambridge and around the world. Then we wandered around by Kings College and turned down the persistent offers for punting on the river Cam, saving that for future date, before heading home. We were still easing into things and have the luxury of slow travel, being able to just do a little bit each day rather than feeling like we have to cram as much as we can into a short period of time.
The next day was Saturday, Tommy's 7th birthday. We have moved on his birthday 4 times now and I'm in awe of how his tender heart bravely carries him to start over again and again in new places and new homes. We tend to make a big deal of his birthday for the entire month and he's been celebrated well by friends in Ohio, family in South Carolina, but of course I still fretted that he wouldn't have a special something to commemorate the actual day. I popped to the nearby grocery and snagged some chocolate croissants for breakfast and we made plans for our very first visitors!
While stationed in Korea we met a family living just a few floors above us in the same apartment building. In the smallest of worlds, we discovered that the husband and I both attended the same international high school in England just missing each other by a few years. They are now stationed at a base just an hour away from our new home and we wasted no time in reuniting. They pulled into our driveway in the afternoon and unloaded snacks and treats, bearing presents for all three kiddos and a balloon for the birthday boy as well. Their youngest son was probably Tommy's first true friend and while they don't really remember each other from our time in Korea they quickly jumped right back into it, playing tag, and bonding over a love of legos. Meanwhile the grown ups set ourselves up around the table in the garden with Pimms and proceeded to catch up on our lives and get some tips and tricks from their experience in England so far, sharing stories and understanding with fellow wanderers. It eased any fears of homesickness.
On Sunday, still slow to rise, we didn't make it to church but did make it to Sunday roast. I hope we will make both those things a weekly rhythm for us. The kids were big fans of their roast and especially the Yorkshire pudding. Since touching down we've enjoyed beautiful blue sky British summer days. Although I know it's a bit of a false impression of what the weather will be like for most of the time, it's been the best welcome to our lives here. Even though it's a short season, England really does do summer well. Sunbathers in every grassy park, tables set up outside cafes, a ferris wheel. After a spin or two around we ducked into the Fitzwilliam museum. Another incredible free and massive museum I know we'll go back to again on the rainy days ahead.
We came home and I agreed to cook dinner for the first time after several weeks of not doing so. I eased back into it with grilled ham and cheeses enjoyed al fresco with our first loads of laundry hanging on the washing line in the garden. Nope, there's no dryer in our quirky, charming house and the washer fits in a cupboard but I'm choosing to think of it as romantic. After tucking the kids into bed we had to pack our suitcases again which was a bit of a shock. When we booked out first vacation away from our vacation, just four days after arriving, it didn't seem as crazy then as it did the night before departure. But the next morning we set out again. These magical next few months are off to a great start!
Welcome back to the UK. You seem to be cramming a lot in already but I'm sure your 6 months will fly by.
ReplyDeleteLove all the pictures!! I have always wanted to travel to England!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this catch-up, Shannon! I'm so glad y'all are settling in so well and are off to a great start! I'm looking forward to your next post!! God bless!!
ReplyDeleteCheers to writing it down! Can't wait to visit and do all the things with you xo
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I bet those 6 months are going to fly by.
ReplyDeleteWell done getting there and settled. Looking forward to reading about your time in Jolly Old England and Scotland, too.
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