Going the Distance

In writing this blog, in telling the story of Aindrea and Mick, and in talking to people face to face, I've been surprised to hear how many of them (the women, really) want what I have. I'm not surprised that they want a fantastic husband who is also your best friend, but they want the whole process. It happens almost daily, a customer at the pub will notice that I'm obviously not from around here, ask where I'm from.
"America"
"Oh, what are you doing all the way over here."
"I married an Englishman."
"Oh, how did you meet?"
"We met online as teenagers. Over the years we kept in touch finally met, and now here we are."
"Oh, how romantic, what a love story!"
And I'm always a little bit surprised. Even a friend of mine said to me once, "I want what you have. I want that love story and I want a British boy."
We all want a love story, and we all deserve a great one. British men are plenty nice, but they're still just men. What I don't think people realize is just how hard it all is, and how much it entails. I love Mick more that anything in the world, but would I recommend that any couple go through what we did? Absolutely not. It's hard, it hurts, you find the most stupid things to argue about when you're apart, and you just end up not being very nice to each other a lot of the time. Not because you're horrible or you don't love each other, but because you're so frustrated with the situation and you don't know how else to express it. We were only apart for 7 months, but in that time, we had a lot of arguments, a lot of doubts, and I even had to visit the ER twice because I was in so much stress, I had a panic attack that lasted for several days.
Mick and I have both talked about this, and we have agreed that if, for some reason (God forbid) things didn't work out for us, we wouldn't do this again, with another person. Would I do it again, with Mick? Yes, because what we have is special and unbreakable. It takes unquestionable and complete trust, a lot of faith, and the kind of love you only find once in a lifetime.
I think it's really important that people don't limit themselves. If you decide at some point in your life that you're going to have, x,y,z (in my friends case, a British man), you're going to be focused on only one area. And if you do that, you're going to limit yourself and you might miss out on something really fantastic. Perhaps a Swedish guy? An Australian guy? A guy from New York or Vancouver, or, most desirably, a guy from your own town. Don't put yourself in a box, be open to life and all the surprises that life sends your way. I didn't plan to fall in love with an English boy, but it fell in my lap, I discovered how important he was to me and I decided that, come hell or high water, I'd fight to keep him. We can't help who we love, and so that also means that you can't make yourself love someone. You might find someone who checks all the boxes on your list, but at the end of the day, you might really surprise yourself with what you actually want.

Today I met a girl in the pub, and she asked all those typical questions. Once she realized we had been long distance, she immediately launched into all these questions about how she should handle a sitation with a guy that is long distance. I immediately recalled the insecurities, the desperation, the excitement, and the sadness. Let me tell you, I didn't envy this girl one little bit. I basically told her that she just had to be open, honest, and decide what would work for her, and would just have to go with the flow.
And then she spoke the words, "but I don't want to just wait and see, I want to know."
I could have laughed out loud. Not because it's funny what she said, or that it's so unusual or unreasonable to want to know how love will turn out, but because I can remember saying that to my mom, or to Brittany, curled up on her couch and wallowing in the distance. "I just want to know if we're going to make it." Over and over. I was such a broken record. I wished the girl luck and walked away wondering when I'd become Dr. Love, but I was glad to be able to help, because I certainly know how she feels.
Nobody has a crystal ball (as my mom has told me over and over and over my entire life when I worry about something) and we can't know how something is going to turn out.
But isn't not knowing half the fun?

I guess I just wanted to bring some light to the situation. I'm not saying I'm not really happy, because I am. I have snagged an amazing opportunity- I'm living in another country and learning about another culture, I'm a newlywed and the world is my oyster. But we're still a couple, like anyone else. We fight. I'm sometimes really unreasonable, and he's sometimes really insensitive. I get sad and homesick and want to go home somedays, and he gets sad about that. But each day, we wake up in the same bed, happy to see the other there. And that's all we wanted for so very long.

You just have to greet life with open arms, take what it gives you, and turn that into something that makes you want to get up every day and smile at the world. I found it in an English boy, but you mind find it somewhere else. And that is beautiful.

A Slightly Hyper Post

Today I worked from 10am-6pm with a slew of families swinging in and out the door. The comfy, worn in couches scattered about the warm pub were filled with laughter and chit-chat, and my hands were satisfied and sticky from pulling lots and lots of pints. Two o'clock rolled around and my boss said I could take my break. I donned my wool coat and scarf (never thought I'd say that!) and walked across the square to the supermarket to buy a sandwich and a drink. My selections in hand (chicken salad sandwich, strawberry flavored water and sour coke bottles), I paid and exited the store. To my immense puzzlement, as I walked through the sliding doors, I was accosted (ok, not really, I just never pass up an opportunity to use that word. Accosted. Accosted! I love it) by charity collectors holding their plastic coin cup things and wearing... wait for it!.... GIANT DOG COSTUMES. We're not just talking a painted face and ears, people. We're talking the hole getup- a full on furry costume with giant head and everything. Actually, it was probably pretty warm, now that I think about it. Anyway, there was Christmas music blaring from mysteriously placed speakers and booths and things set up. In a daze, I grabbed a few coins from my pocket and chucked them in the cup. The Giant Dog I deposited my money to waved with his big, fake, awkward hands. Character costumes like that have always freaked me out a bit. I don't know, it might be the vow of silence the people who wear them seem to take. It's just weird, okay?!
Anyways, I retreated to the safety of my designated lunch spot- a tree planter with a large base to sit on. I munched on my sandwich and watched the way the light played on the pavers, the sides of brick buildings, and shone around the corner, bursting through a narrow walkway. I fell in love with winter light today. And as I snapped pictures, a children's choir at the charity thing began to sing "Good King Wenceslas," which always reminds me of that scene in the end of Love Actually where Hugh Grant is desperately searching an entire street of houses, asking for the girl he loves, tryyying to find out if she lives there because she only gave him the name of the street she lived on and not the house number. And three little girls open the door and don't realize Hugh Grant is the Prime Minister, because they're like, seven. So they ask if he's a Carol Singer and he starts to sing to humor them. And his driver, who is standing behind him, busts out in this really sexy bass voice, and Hugh Grant does this surprised little face and turns around and looks at the driver. (I tried to find a clip on youtube to no avail). It always makes me smile, as does anything to do with Hugh Grant, and particularly Love Actually. I smiled and snapped pictures until my hands started to go numb, at which point I decided it was probably time to go back to work.

My lunch spot. I love how the concrete and wood eat up the light and hold it tight.

Pavers also enjoy eating the light. Also- I much prefer the footwear of bartending to the footwear of teaching. Vans to work? Yes, please!

This picture literally stops my breath. The way the light bends around the building and down this little walkway. Be still, my heart!

Have a fantastic Saturday, you!

Some Randomness for You

Some things you may not know.

I detest the feeling of lipstick and lip gloss. My lips go au natural 99% of the time- weddings qualify as lipstick time. However, I have found lip stain, which doesn't bother me.

I have a strange fondness for dandelion clocks (that's the actual name for dandelion poofy ball thingies)

I love the smell of spicy candles.

I've wanted to be a writer since I was 9. Wrote my first story in 4th grade and my first poem in 5th.

I inherited the shutterbug gene from my maternal grandfather.

I love the smell of baby head. You know, fresh out of the bath, wrapping them up in a towel, and just burying your nose into their wispy hair and breathing in real deep. My niece has been a victim of this activity a time or two.

I'm a real believer in the "live and let live" outlook on life. I feel like way too many people express anger at situations that don't really involve them or affect them. So what if those guys want to get married? So what if that lady isn't Christian? So what if that girl is covered in tattoos from head to toe? Does that mean the world is coming to an end? Does it mean that I can't carry on in my life and hold true to the things that I've been taught and value the most? Absolutely not. Times will always change, people will always say things we don't like. And that, my friends, is beautiful. At the end of the day, you probably should be looking at yourself and your own life more than spending time obsessing about what's happening outside. Start at home. I'm not saying we should ignore what happens in the world, or that we shouldn't try and make a difference, but it's important to tell the difference between what we can change and what we can't... and that moaning about it won't make the difference.

I believe in a strong work ethic. My parents pounded into me from a very young age that it is important to be at work or school. I wasn't allowed to take a day off "just because" and I don't let myself do it now.

I never had a blanket or stuffed animal that I drug all over the place as a child. I did, however, have a pillow that went on all overnight trips with me. I still have that pillow, and it has traveled the world with me, thank you very much.

I love to cook. I'm pretty new to it, but my mother in law handed me the reigns to the kitchen when I moved to England. It's been a bit off since I've started working and have been ill, but we had some pretty cool meals there for a while.

My husband drives me crazy, in every sense of the word. He can say things that baffle me, enrage me, confuse me, amuse me, or just make my heart melt. It's weird how things deepen the longer you love someone. I feel like every day he grows more handsome in my eyes. He doesn't change physically, of course, but as I learn more about him and love him more, those things show in his face.

I have serious guilt issues. Like, if I do something even remotely naughty (as silly as not putting something back where I found it) I have an internal battle about how horrible I am.

I have a dangerous addiction to Diet Coke and Coke Zero. I don't have it every day or anything, but if it's in the house, there's a good chance I won't drink any water until it's gone. For the most part we keep it out of the house, but I'll treat it to myself when we go out.

We are movie people. Every night, Mick and I select a film to watch, take refuge on the couch and dive in. We often pause for tea breaks and discussions- occasionally it'll be an in depth plot analysis, but typically we criticize acting skills and continuity errors.

I require three pillows when I sleep: said comfort childhood pillow, one to go underneath it because it's pretty much flat and dead, and another to wrap myself around because husband can't cuddle during sleep. Bummer.

I have a hunger for traditions and heirlooms and look forward to making rich, deep histories for the children I will someday have.

I was raised to be proud of my ancestry.

I love trying new things- whether it's an activity, a food, a game or a new place, I'm usually willing to try it. I even tried eating Black Pudding (see: pig's blood mixed with herbs and spices, fried and made like a sausage) a few weeks ago.

I am a roller coaster junkie- love the rush!

I love a good lazy day, but enjoy a busy day out doing things as well.

And I love, love love to take pictures.

A Moment

It happened Saturday night. The pub was relentlessly busy, a coworker had a sick son and couldn't make it in, so three of us were pulling it together and making it work without so much as a breath between customers. I was baptised with fire that night, learning by doing. I stood, mixing a Malibu and diet coke facing the back part of the bar where all the spirits are stored. I glanced up to reach for something and caught my face in the mirrored back-splash. I looked younger than I have felt in a few years; fresh faced and wide eyed, eating up the new. I thought about how much my life has changed in the past year. That tired, drawn "teacher face" is gone. I saw freshness, newness. I thought of my Mick, and of the huge thing I've done for him- us, even for me at the end of the day. I saw myself mixing this drink and suddenly felt the positive impact this huge transition has had on me. Everything shifted, fell in place and aligned in one of those moments where you are suddenly very aware of your little place in the universe. It hit me that the steps are all over- we are done with visas (for two years), I managed to snag the first job I applied for, and we are in motion. Things are happening now, and this is the life that was planned for me, the very same one that I chose.
I remembered my teenage dream- moving to Ireland and opening a pub. I had to chuckle- I made it to England, and am working in a pub. Not exactly on target, but a very pleasant alternative. And the thing that makes it all worthwhile? That boy who stole my heart when I was 17 and took me as his wife three months ago. I felt peace, and turned to mix the next drink, once again absorbed in the sounds of inebriated laughter, clanking bottles, and cheerful banter.
And so after work this afternoon, I ran to the store to buy a sandwich for a late lunch, found myself a new pair of gloves and a scarf, and bought that boy I love so much the pair of slippers he pointed out a while back.
Which may or may not have gorilla faces. I'll never tell ;)

Bringing Thanksgiving to the Redcoats

What a great, full weekend we had here- visiting friends, attending parties, and for me, lots of cooking! Saturday night I began my cooking for our little belated Thanksgiving which we would hold on Sunday. It's hard to do Thanksgiving on Thursday here, because nobody has time off, obviously, since it isn't celebrated here. But that wasn't going to stop me- we pushed it to Sunday.
I did my two casseroles (sweet potato as well as twice baked potato), put them in the fridge to bake the following day, and left the turkey out to defrost.
When we woke up Sunday morning, hubby and I walked to the store for some last minute ingredients and came back to the house so I could get started on the pumpkin pie. I had ordered pie filling from amazon (not available here!) and got my store-bought crust out of the refrigerator to place in the pie dish. It was square instead of round, so I had to knead it and roll it out to make it fit the pie dish. Took care of it, placed it in the dish- looking good! Pop it in the oven to flash bake. Cool. I decided to check on it after a minute or two only to discover that the crust was slipping down the edges and settling in a pathetic puddle at the bottom of the dish. I freaked out, shouted for Mick, and got all teary. I'm not sure that it was really the crust that got me so upset. More likely it was the fact that I didn't get to have Thanksgiving with my family, didn't want to ruin the pie because it's my favourite part of Thanksgiving, and it was just a hectic morning. Back we went to the store to get more pasty ( 4!) and another pie dish, because the one at the house was shaped weird (straight edges instead of angles), which I thought added to the problem. We rushed home and I started over. It started to do the same thing, but only on one little edge of the crust, so I pulled it out of the oven and patched up the spot with extra pastry (which had been frozen and had to be thawed! Ugh!). Back in the oven to finishing flash bake and out in a few minutes. It looked pretty compromised, but it was holding together. In went the pumpkin mixture to finish baking. It all turned out fine, and tasted just like it should!
This was the only mishap of the day, apart from the store-bought apple pie that didn't want to bake. But that was okay, because we just did our dessert in two stages. Most of my Brits had never had pumpkin pie before, and they all seemed to like it. Even Mick, who had been more skeptical than the rest, said he really enjoyed it. And he is one picky man!
So thanks to my wonderful husband, his mom and step-dad, my sister in law and her boyfriend, I was able to have a Thanksgiving. And they helped make it special.
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend with your families and friends!

Centerpiece

My mom's side of the family always had gherkins and olives out on Thanksgiving. It wouldn't have felt legit without them!

My pie didn't look all that great, but it tasted perfect :)

I think I did Mama proud!

Pretty table

I know this is an awkward picture, but I swear- my husband does know what a camera is. He just hates them.

The turkey!

Phriday Photo Phrenzy

My husband's body has been taken over by a Modern Warfaring demon.

I made stuffed peppers for dinner earlier in the week.

Santa is on my coke can. Christmas is nigh!

Cuddles during movie time. "What Lies Beneath" was our movie choice.

Very, very mean bug bite :(

Somebody (daddy) left the treat cup on the floor and left the room... both bunnies took advantage, but here is Harley being naughty :p

Christmas comes fast in England, because they don't have Thanksgiving to break up the time between Halloween and Christmas. I like this and I don't at the same time. I'm hoping to do a little Thanksgiving for us here next Sunday (it's just not practical to do it on a Thursday- nobody gets the day off!), but it will be low-key, because it's my first time cooking all that kind of stuff.
My mother-in-law got us a little 3ft tree to put in our lounge. I'm so excited- I think it would be a nice size to put on the window sill. Because I haven't gotten a job yet and savings are dwindling, I'm going to make pretty paper snowflakes for our ornaments this year with this tutorial. I'll get some glitter pens and make them kind of sparkly. I think it'll be fun.

Hubby's friend is arriving this afternoon for the weekend. Should be a good time.

Happy Friday- have a great weekend!

Oh and ps- I had my national insurance interview yesterday- all went well and my number should arrive in two weeks. In the meantime, I can start looking for work :)

An Altar for Autumn

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

To-morrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;
To-morrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow,
Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know;
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away;
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

 

-Robert Frost, October

 I think in this poem, Frost is wishing for autumn to slow down, to hold off winter for just a little bit longer, to let summer's fruits stay ripe and plump and not fade and shrivel away. He's asking the trees to not let the leaves fall quite so quickly, just a few throughout the day. But to me, "slow! slow!" means "hang on autumn, there's no rush. Stick around for a while and let us enjoy your beauty for more than just a month or two. Keep those jewels dancing from branch to ground all year round!" I won't miss summer, I just want to soak up the orange and crimson.

""Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.""

- Stanley Horowitz

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."

- Albert Camus

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

- William Cullen Bryant

*these images are not mine. My dear friend Google image search helped me find them.

A Morning Out & Exciting News!

It is officially cold in England, if you want my humble desert-rat opinion! Where I spent the majority of my life (Yuma, Arizona) there are very few days in the year, even in winter, when it stays below maybe 60F. But this is England. The evenings have steadily been in the high 40sF for the past few nights, which isn't all that cold. Except for when it's windy and you have thinned out blood from living in serious heat for 14 and a half years! I won't lie, I'm enjoying it, but my hands are really cold as I type this.

Mick and I went to a town called Worthing this morning on the train. It's about 30 minutes from Bognor. We had to go here because Mick took his written driving test today. He was a bit nervous about it (who likes tests, really?) I assured him he'd do fine, and I think he knew that, too. But still. We're a worry-wart couple. I wasn't allowed into the office where the test took place, so I sat in the stairwell to wait for him, perched on a very hard step. After about 10 minutes, my bum started to feel a bit worse for the wear so I searched google maps on my phone for somewhere to get a hot drink and sit on a comfy couch. Maps told me there was a place just around the corner, maybe 50 yards from where I was sitting. I sent Mick a text (he wouldn't get it until after the test, because he'd had to turn off his phone and store it in a locker before he was able to sit the exam) telling him where I was.

I rounded the corner and crossed the street and found a very cute little coffee shop called Fancy Coffee. I immediately liked the place as I reached for the doorknob. An Italian looking man smiled at me from behind the counter and offered me a menu. I accepted the menu and decided that a hot chocolate sounded absolutely fabulous. I chose the comfy red leather couch in front of the window and watched people walk past the shop while I waited for my drink. I noticed a little old lady walk past with some very metallic purple eyeshadow. I had to smile.
The man brought my hot chocolate. It was almost too pretty to drink !

...almost. 

After only a few minutes, Mick called to find out where I was. He crossed the street to join me. He passed! I'm sure a lot of you are thinking "what's the big deal, the guy's 25 and driving tests are easy." Yes, they are... in America. In England, driving is actually a really difficult process to go through. Not to mention expensive. This is the first time he's ever taken the written test, but that's because he never really needed to before, with friends and public transportation. He did really well and showed me the sheet with his scores on it. Now he just needs to book the actual driving test, which I'm sure he'll also smoke! He celebrated with some caramel shortbread.

How great is that funky cutlery?!

We enjoyed our treats and went out to brave the cold so we could walk back to the train station. It's too bad we don't really ever have any reason to go to Worthing. I really liked Fancy Coffee and would love to make it a regular haunt of mine.

Fancy Coffee.

On another note, our family has some very exciting news... my sister and her horse Big Tyme just competed in the Pan American dressage games in Guadalajara Mexico. It was a huge deal, a massive honor to even make the USA team. This weekend, my parents, brother and his wife, and my brother in law all made the trip to Mexico to watch my sister ride. Mick and I really wanted to go, but understandably, it was just a bit too far for us. As it turns out, the USA Dressage team won the Gold Medal! My sister also won 3rd place for individual medals. I don't think the competition is quite over yet, but I'm so very proud of you, big sister! It must be such a reward for you to work at something so hard for most of your life and then to get such an amazing reward. I've watched you work for this since I was just a little girl, and I couldn't be happier for you. You truly are an inspiration! I wish we could have been there, but I can't wait for you to get home so we can talk on Skype and you can tell me all about it!
Read about dressage here (most people don't know what the heck it is!)
And read about the Pan American USA team (and my big sister!) here.


I think it's time to take a nice hot shower to warm me up!

Why this fits

Things I love about being here:
-Waking up next to my husband and not having to worry who is going to fly where next, how we'll afford it, or if I can handle the distance.
-Sleeping with the window open and feeling the cool air flutter through the curtains and hit my face. I don't think I ever slept with the window open in Arizona. Even once.
-Being within a couple hours of one of the most famous and historic cities in the world. London is an amazing place, and so so so many interesting and significant things took place there. We haven't gone up there in a while, but I'm hoping we'll be going soon. And even when we don't go there often, almost every little town, city or village here has something worth seeing- like the other day when we were in Chichester and went to the cathedral.
-Public transportation. I hate having to use it, because bus drivers are stupid and don't wait until you're in your seat to start driving again, and so you're launched forwards. I can't tell you how many times I've nearly taken out an old lady with my handbag because I go flyyyying. But, it is nice to have it since we currently don't drive. Soon though!
-Real autumn. There are ACTUAL trees here, which means they change color.
-High Streets. High Streets are pretty cool because they're generally right in the center of town and you get all the mall type stores, right in the same area, within walking distance. Kind of like a Main Street, but with useful stores.
-Fish & Chips. Like, real ones that aren't from Jack in the Box and don't come with tartar sauce because salt and vinegar is how it's done, son!
-Reasonable phone prices. I'm getting the new iPhone 4S tomorrow and it's only going to cost me £35 a month. In America the iPhone 3GS cost me $108 a month. Even when you allow for currency conversion, I'm saving, like, at least $30.
-National Healthcare. I know this is a hot topic everywhere, but at the end of the day, I like knowing that even though I don't have a job or private insurance, if something happens to me, I'll at least get basic care and treatment and I won't be paying for it for the rest of my life.

That's all I got for now. That's not all I love about it here, but all I can think of at the moment.

Things I Miss...

Before I left America I made a list about the things I would miss about living in the Southwest. While some of these things have stayed the same, a lot of it has changed. I don't think you know how you're really going to feel about something before it happens, no matter how much preparation time you may have. I had time to think about this and prepare for it ( a little bit of time). I thought a lot about how hard it would be, yet how exciting. I tried to anticipate the things that would be difficult for me so that when the events occurred, I would be able to sit back and think "hey, it's okay, you knew this was coming." And for the most part, I have been able to do this without too much difficulty. However, there have been some things that I really miss that sort of surprised me.

-Commercialization. As silly as that sounds, it's true. I really miss how much we hyped everything up in America. Halloween, for instance. I loved how ABC family played family Halloween movies all through October, and how lots of people decorated with luminaries (I think that's what they're called?), scarecrows, pumpkins, witches, and all that stuff. It's just not that big of a deal here. They do have candy and costumes and a few decorative items in super markets and stuff like that, but it's just not the same.

-Being able to drive. Now, that's not a cultural difference. It's just that Mick is still working on getting his driver's license, and I can't afford to drive here because insurance is really ridiculously disgustingly expensive. Once I get a job I will take some lessons just so I can get used to driving on the other side of the road, and the other side of the car, and with the shifter on my left side. And round-abouts and narrow roads. All of that. But for the time being, if we can't get somewhere without walking, taking the bus, or getting a lift, we just don't do it. It definitely limits our activities, so I'm looking forward to Mick being done with all his lessons and tests and stuff.

-Family. I knew this one was going to be the hardest. Apart from the day to day stuff that I miss (having lunch with mom, catching a movie with dad, going to Stone Brewery with my brother and his wife, going shopping with my sister, or playing boardgames with my brother in law and niece) there are also the big things. Being so far away meant that the only family that could make it to my wedding were my parents. My sister qualified for a huge riding competition in Mexico this month and because we're so far away, Mick and I won't be able to make it and the rest of the family is going. That's been a bummer- I'm really proud of my sister and wish so much that I could be there to root for her. This family stuff has been the hardest thing. Most days it's totally fine, I talk to my mom on skype a few times a week and we facebook chat often, I talk to my dad once a week and to my brother and sister when I can. But there have been those moments that hit me like a train and I realize- "oh wow. this is permanent." And I'm left with this really scared and sad feeling. But it always goes away.

-Having a job. Now, of course everybody wishes they could just get money and not have a job. But I do miss working. I miss getting up and having somewhere to be, getting a paycheck and interacting with colleagues. Some days I even miss my students. But I'm hoping my visa will go through soon and then I'll be able to work and get going there.

-Yuma. Now, it's not so much Yuma itself that I miss. I just miss certain things about it. The sunsets, my parents' house. Kneaders and Buffalo Wild Wings. Going to visit Outback where I worked for so long. Target! Oh man, I miss Target so much! And Barnes & Nobles, too! Juliana's Cafe. How American Starbucks do Pumpkin Spice lattes. I've checked at one Starbucks around here and there was no Pumpkin Spice Latte :( I know these things aren't all unique to Yuma, but it all made up the whole. Oh and sushi! As far as I can tell sushi isn't that big of a deal here and I miss it so much!

-Friends. This one hasn't been quite as hard as family, but it's still rough. I do get lonely here, but I know once I get a job I'll make some friends, though they'll never replace the ones back home. Like Tabatha, Brittany, Celeste. The ones who've been through it all with me. I hope they can all come visit me soon. Because I miss them loads.


And as far as the picture goes... that's what they say, isn't it? "Home is where the heart is." I can't predict the future, but I have a feeling that Arizona/California will always be home. And because such a big part of my life was there, and so many people I love are still there, part of my heart will always be there. But England is starting to feel a bit like home, as well. And as more things fill my heart here- friends, a house, children- it will become home, too. And at the end of the day, that's two homes. Two sets of friends, two families, two places I love. How much luckier can a girl get?

I promise to...

Spend more time doing the things that I love. This includes taking pictures.

I've been really homesick lately, the worst since I've been here. I guess that's to be expected though, but it doesn't mean it's easy. I don't want to dwell on that though, what I've come to say today is that I'm going to start doing things I love because that's what life is for, isn't it? I like the way I see things when I hold the camera, how I notice things that you'd never expect to make an interesting photo. But they do. Today I focused on the dog, Sasha. She sat still, not because she wanted to be my model but because she'd found a warm sunny spot to park it. Here you are.

Ahhh, off center and relatively shallow depth of field. I've missed this stuff.

Don't you just love the texture? The deserty, cracked nose and the fine hairs.

Such pretty paws.

And extreme angles.

I'm going to try to take pictures nearly every day and share them with you as often. I hope you'll enjoy seeing them.