London week -1

I am already missing London, even after a week.

For starters, John Lewis. I mean, department stores here don't have haberdashery departments, why????

Secondly, calling my friends. Even in London I had the skype set up to call home, but I haven't worked out how to call the UK cost effectively yet. So not only do I miss my friends, I can't call them. It is strange coming back, things feel really normal but sometimes in a weird way, like my year away never happened. I kept looking at my peeling legs to remind me that I was in India two weeks ago!

So I am looking through pictures from the year and will post some highlights that I may have missed...here are some from between India and New York.

Day with my girls:


My movers, Ellie and Alex, taking a break. Slackers.


Back on the job:


Good bye dinner at Lee and David's:


One of my local pubs, The Nobody Inn, in Newington Green:






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New York Observations: Week 1.

Fall foliage is not over estimated. It's pretty amazing.
Park Slope:


Long Island:


I wish I had put my head in this picture for scale- because this bagel was the size of it. Totally worth the Gluten splurge.


There are street signs! In places you can read them! What a concept.

Clear, cold, sunny days.


Lastly, for the moment, Kombucha. It tastes like vinegar but oh have I missed it!

Unemployed, uninsured, and homeless.

I had a lovely and crazy 3 days in London after India (which I may do some retroactive blogging about) and am officially back in New York. It feels weird and totally normal to be here.

Agenda:
1. Get a job.
2. See friends and family.
3. Transition.
4. Blog about 1, 2, and 3.

Stay tuned! I know, it is so exciting.

Inventory

One year in London. This is the beginning of the list...

Things that I gained:
Very Good Friends: Natalie, Kayde, Carla, Lee, Liza, Rebecka, Spence, Adam, Sean, Isis, Mike.
Travel experiences: Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, Berlin, Vienna, Austrian Alps, Budapest, Salzburg, Canterbury, Bath, Brighton, Cardiff, Windsor/Bray. And now India!
English vocabulary that I use regularly: Pants (underwear), trousers (pants), lift, flat, cheers, quid.
Oh, and a Masters degree.

Things that lasted me the whole year:
One bottle of nail polish remover.
One bottle of eye makeup remover.
Somehow I have maintained a steady supply of imported altoids.
The plant I bought my first day here (though it has a new home now).

My favorite things about London:
Pubs. I'm going to be at a loss of where to go in New York! You will probably find me at the Spotted Pig until I find some other decent options.
The upper deck of the bus. A great place to stare and daydream.
The international contingent. I have friends from more countries than I can count.
Speaking of, London's proximity to everywhere else is amazing. So easy and cheap to travel.
The urgency of enjoying a sunny day. You should have seen the crazy tan lines ( I mean burn lines really) after the one hot summer saturday in June!
My friends.
That everyone cycles. I didn't get to do it enough, but love it.

Blogging Slacker

But I have been taking pictures of some things I've made. Oh, and of course my new housemate, Ellie.
Bed
Wood, glue, tape, foam, thread, shirt

Tub
Clay, glase, screw

Chair
Foam, wood, glue, tape, thread, hair, shirt

Tea pot and cups. I'm in love.

Post nap cuteness

Ellie: My New Housemate.

I recently moved in with Lee (who is the co-author of this post), her husband David, and Ellie, who is 15 months old. While Ellie is extremely cute, she is not the best housemate one could ask for.

Some positives and negatives of living with Ellie:

• She throws her food on the floor and expects you to clean it up.
• Watches the WORST shows on TV and cries when you change the channel.
• She goes to bed early but sometimes wakes you up in the middle of the night.
• Drinks all of the milk and never replaces it.
• Respects my privacy but poops her pants in front of me.
• Smiles when I come home but never asks me how my day was.
• Likes my peanut butter cookies but never thanks me for making them.
• Doesn't borrow my clothes or hog the phone line but keeps trying to eat my iphone.

Luckily, the positives score way higher points.

Correction

I spent my second to last night in the dorms having drinks with Sean, Mike, his bf Leon, and another fine art dorm friend, Rubin. It was fitting to be with my Hoxton crew and Mike was my friend friend in London! Anyway, back to the correction: Mike informed me that all the reasons I was moving out of the halls were actually not entirely true. Well, they were true when I was informed but the management changed their tune. Anyway, I'm still glad I'm out of there, but my reason is now: I'm almost 29 and over residence halls. Now begins my slight homelessness/adventure in other people's homes. It was a long week moving but I am all done and mostly settled in at Rebecka and Spence's. Goodbye Hoxton, hello Newington Green.

My first order of business in my new neighborhood is checking out a little cafe around the corner called Tina, We Salute You. I am already familiar with the local pub, The Nobody Inn, so don't worry. My second order of business is to make use of Rebecka's bike. Mom, she also has a helmet that I will wear, I promise. I just want to get around more easily, not get myself injured!