Countryside Bliss

D and I have been wanting to spend a weekend in the Cotswolds since we've arrived in London.  What better time to experiment driving on the other side of the road than when his parents are visiting?
We'll tackle it together.  Eight eyes are better than two.  Three navigators and one driver.  We could do it!!!
So, we booked a room and rented a car and we were set.  We would leave the day after Thanksgiving.  No backing out due to unrealistic catastrophic car accident thoughts.
We left a little later on Friday than we would have hoped.  I got sick ... again.  Third time in two and a half months.  Pretty awful.
We stopped in Oxford for dinner and made it to the B&B just in time to cozy up and plan the next days adventures.
Saturday I was raring to go.  I was 100% and absolutely loving the fresh air, sprawling landscape, and time with family.
Sunday we ran into some trouble.  We pulled over to take a picture and as we got back onto the road we hit a (not so small) land marker.  The driver (who will remain nameless) thought it was a curb and decided it was best to continue over it.  A little tape-age of the bumper and we were back on the road...heading home.  What an eventful weekend.

                         

All in all, the trip was one for the books.  Can't wait to go back.

xx, 

V

Full of Thanks

We had such a special Thanksgiving this year in London.  D's parents flew in mid-week (more on their trip next) and on Thursday we headed up to Primrose Hill for a proper Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the O'Neills. 

We missed our family back home, but it was so wonderful getting to spend the day with our great friends and their fabulous parents & siblings.  

While this Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for, I'm most thankful for our London friends who have now become our London family.  T, KC, Mare, Mike (& Finn) have truly been a blessing and our time in London wouldn't be the same without them (MH, too!!).

Our first Thanksgiving in London is sure to be one we'll never forget. 

Surprise, I'm Home!

I am so super behind on my posts.  My apologies.

Following my depressing post about missing home, I tried to change my flight to a bit earlier in December so that I could spend more time with my family and friends around Christmas.  It was wayyy too expensive, so on Sunday night (Nov 3), D booked a flight for me to leave Tuesday morning - arriving into JFK in the early afternoon.

The November vs December trip home made more sense:
1. Was cheaper.  2. I had been missing friends and family.  3. My sister's kids were off from school (more QT).
4. One of my closest friends who also recently moved (to Florida) would be in New York City all week visiting her friends.  5. Get to spend a couple days in NYC & see friends.

This trip was going to be a surprise (for most) and I was jumping out of my skin with excitement!!!
I fished around to find out where in New York City SBC would be once I landed, and I made sure to text my family with pictures from "London" at the appropriate UK time. (I needed to throw them off - I couldn't risk them figuring me out.)

I landed in New York with a face that hurt from smiling so hard, I cried in the cab as we passed Central Park (miss this place), and shook with excitement as I knocked carefully on the door to surprise SBC (& MMC)! Yay!
The rest of the night I was with my favorite people, in my favorite place, and on Cloud. Freaking. 9.

The next day I walked around my old neighborhood with friends and visited my work...then I was on my way to New Jersey to surprise my sister and my dad.

My first transcontinental surprise went off without a hitch!!!  I'm pretty sure I blew everyones mind as I showed up at their door or came creeping out of the living room.  Surprises are my ABSOLUTE. FAVORITE.
[Watch below for some pretty great reactions ... not on smartphones]

Despite the nasty stomach bug that decided to infect most of my family on day 5, my time at home was unbelievable.  Filled with such joy and excitement. 

I tried my best to see as many of my friends and family as possible and I think I succeeded ... only missed just a couple of my favorites (sorry guys). 

xx

36 Hours in Amsterdam

When D told me he had a meeting on a Wednesday in Amsterdam, it was so hard for me not to jump all over the opportunity to see a new part of the world.  I had heard so many wonderful things about this canal-filled city dubbed the "Venice of the North," so, I resisted the urge to hold back.  I presented the idea to D and he was in agreement...we'd look for a flight for me.  He managed to find a cheap last minute flight and 24 hours later we were on our way to the Netherlands.

The first night D and I ate at an authentic Dutch restaurant and then walked through the Red Light District.  To say I was disturbed is an understatement.  Sorry, but I just wasn't really into seeing half naked women selling themselves on the street.  Nah.  Not for me.  No thanks.

I spent all day Wednesday exploring the city while D was working hard for us.  I strolled up and down the canals popping into the cute shops, I took a boat ride throughout the city, and the most memorable part of my day was visiting Anne Frank's house.  I waited in line for 45 minutes but it was well worth it.  To see the home that she and her family were hiding in for two years was truly unbelievable.
I stopped for lunch and ate Bitterballen, which is a famous Dutch snack filled with veal ragout.  Great choice.

D finished his meeting early and we headed to a brewery.  After a few local beers and a great dinner, we headed home to bed and we were back in London less than 12 hours later.

Our 36 hours in Amsterdam were superb and I am so blessed to have gotten this opportunity.
Quick trips around Europe are one of the many reasons I am loving living in London.

Beautiful blue skies of Amsterdam

The entrance to Anne Frank's house
263 Prinsengracht

Bitterballen!!

Up up and away...
the sunrise over Amsterdam

Autumn in Paris

As I sit here, drinking out of my 'Paris' Starbucks collector mug, I smile and am reminded of our wonderful time away in one of the most romantic cities in the world.  (Mission accomplished by the inventor of the souvenir mug.)

I have to be honest, when D first booked our weekend trip to Paris, I was excited, but a tad less enthusiastic than usual.  Let me clarify before you jump to the "spoiled" conclusion.  There are a few reasons why I felt this way.

1. We went to Paris on our honeymoon: I was worried that perhaps we romanticized this amazing city and if we went again just the two of us it wouldn't be nearly as magnificent as it was when we were first married. (Understandable, right?) 
2. I went to Paris for the day over the summer and it was exhausting and hot!
(Day trips to Paris are not fun.)
3. We have been wanting to visit new places.
(Can you blame us? We may only be here for a few more months.)

I was wrong.  Paris was just as lovely, if not lovelier in Autumn. (They don't use the term Fall.)  The brisk air, the colored leaves, and the sporadic rain made for a cozy and romantic weekend.  I actually have a deeper appreciation for Paris than ever before and I would happily and excitedly go back any, any time!

We stayed at the Westin (our honeymoon spot), ate French onion soup (duh!), held hands through The Tuileries Garden, posed with the Louvre, stopped for cappuccinos, shopped and ate crepes in Il Saint Louis (my favorite part), bought locks for us and our nieces/nephews (& threw the keys in), and took many, many pictures of the Eiffel Tower (and of ourselves).

Please forgive me for my initial lack of gratitude.  Paris rocks!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

We ended our busy weekend, with our usual Sunday Funday crew, by carving pumpkins!!! We had a really fun time.  Super thankful for these guys.

Just One of Them Days

I sat down today to write about our short trips to Paris and Amsterdam and was overcome with tears.  It's been one of those days.  I'm missing everything and everyone and I am so super homesick.  It has nothing to do with being unhappy in London.  We've been keeping busy, traveling, and getting together with friends.  Despite that, today, I feel emotionally drained.  Wiped out.  Defeated.

I miss my life in America and everything that comes with it.  I wonder when we'll be heading home, although I know it's not helpful to think that way.  I often think that our time here in London, while a once in a lifetime experience, is just a filler until we get back to our 'real lives' in New York.  I try to plan our future, which is also unproductive and unrealistic.  I think I just need to go home for a little bit, see my family, hug them, and recharge my batteries.  Only 49 more days.

Hopefully it's only one of these days.  Tomorrow will be happier.  Tomorrow I'll have dry eyes.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can

Nice Was Nice!

Still catching up on the events of the last month.  I've been having too much fun with all of my visitors to keep this thing up to date.  A few weeks late, but worth documenting.

While D and I were home this summer, we decided to book a short weekend trip somewhere in Europe.  I've found it helpful to have a little something to look forward to before waving goodbye to our family and friends and heading back to London.  I know, you feel so bad for me ; )

We opted for the South of France and it was exactly how I imagined it.  Beautiful.
I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of the weather in mid-September, but we were blessed with high 70s and sun!  We pulled a typical 'D & V' and parked it on the pebbled beach: swimming frequently, breaking for lunch, and calling it a day right before a romantic dinner.  We are so predictable.

Nice was a nice way to wrap up the summer.
It's amazing how quickly I forget what the warmth and sun feels like.  I hear London is a true pleasure in the fall (sarcasm).  Wish us luck . . . or at the very least, wish us blue skies!

A little collage of our 3 days in Nice!

Busy Bee!

Time is flying!! I cannot believe its October already.  We're only one week away from our 6 month mark.  Hard to believe.

Since arriving back to London on September 1st, I have been crazy busy in an attempt to truly make a life here.  No more putzing around.  I hit the ground running and I haven't stopped.

I updated my resume, wrote a cover letter, and got a job!!  I'm now volunteering Tuesdays and Wednesdays :)
I had lunch, drinks, and/or dinner with FIVE new friends!  We joined a new church and have met so many wonderful people.  We've been to a soccer game (Chelsea vs Fulham) and a football game (Vikings vs Steelers).  We had fun dinners out with great friends.  I went to a James Blunt show with MH.  We've had football BBQs at our flat.  And we have hosted 3 wonderful guests (and quite a few friends who dropped by while here for work).

Life is good.

Moving to London wasn't the easiest transition for us for obvious reasons.  It has surely been an emotional journey with ups and downs.  It has taken a lot of hard work to acclimate to this new city.  But, I can say (with a smile on my face) that I am absolutely loving the life we have made for ourselves here.  So much so, that I'm surely going to miss it whenever it's time for us to leave.

This is not to say that I don't miss our family and friends and New York City.  I do.  In a desperate kind of way.  But, I've made the choice to be happy here despite my longing to be "home."  So far it's working.  Prayers are welcomed.

xx

I've Got Dreams of Loving You ♪

It's been some time now that the unexpected happened.  I've needed time to process, time to grieve, time to think, time to heal, and time to just be.  Since then, I've been determined to reflect on our experience and share it.  Now, it needs to be known that my intention for writing this is not for sympathy, not for condolences, and not for comfort.  I am sharing my story in hopes to bring solace to other women and their partners who have dealt with a similar situation.

It has been nearly three months since we found out that we miscarried.  I was 11 weeks and 5 days, but our baby only measured 9 weeks and 6 days.  Shocked?  Of course.  Saddened?  How could we not be?  But mostly, I was scared.  A million questions rushed through my mind before I even let the words "I'm so sorry but there's no heartbeat" sink in.  What happens next?  What did this mean for our future?  Was there something I could have done?  Is there something wrong with me?

The hours leading up to my D&C were rough.  Sadness took a back seat to my fear.  We were in a new country with minimal support.  I had just gotten back from America the day before.  I had just left my family.  I had just landed in London with a positive outlook on being pregnant in a new and unfamiliar place.  And now this.  It couldn't actually be happening.  Thankfully, my incredibly amazing and supportive husband took his usual A game up to an A++ and was there with me every step of the way making me feel comfortable, loved, and even making me laugh.

Following the surgery is when it all really set in.  I still felt pregnant, I still looked pregnant, and I still wished, with all of my heart, that I was pregnant.  We arrived back home to our flat, which was filled with a pregnancy pillow, the beginnings of a blanket that I was crocheting, blue and pink onsies, and mostly, filled with our visions of bringing our baby back from the hospital to this place that we now called home.
I cried the first time I drank a sip of wine, hesitated the first time I lifted raw sushi into my mouth, and I flinched as D placed his arm over my belly to give me a hug in bed.  I had worked so hard over the last 8 weeks to adjust to the pregnancy Do's and Don'ts and now to throw them all away felt wrong and unimaginable.

At the time of my miscarriage, I only knew of one other person who this had happened to.  Of course, I've heard the statistics of how common miscarriages are, but still, I felt so alone.  Women tend not to discuss their miscarriages.  It is perfectly understandable.  It's hard to talk about and to dredge up the memories of a horrific time in your life.  But, I want to share mine.  No need to protect my anonymity, either.  If by spreading the word that I had a miscarriage, at 28 years old, could shed light or bring comfort to someone in need, then it is more than worth it.  I realized quickly, as I shared with friends and family, that I actually knew quite a few people that have had miscarriages.  I was simply unaware.  As sad as I felt for them, it brought me comfort knowing that I wasn't alone anymore.  Miscarriage is a common occurrence and it does not mean half of the things we think that it means in our state of panic and fear.

It took weeks before the tears dried on my pillow at night.  And although, with the help of our visitors, I quickly bounced back to living my pre-pregnancy life, I still was dealing with a lot inside.  I am still healing at this very moment.  My feelings evolved from anxiety (which could have very well been my hormones), health-anxiety (Was something wrong with me? What's that coming out of my v****a?), and sadness.  I'm working overtime to mourn the loss of our baby girl.  But, it's been a therapeutic journey and I'm learning so much as I go along.  The most significant?  I am stronger than I think and I am not alone.

I hope and pray that one day we will be blessed with the opportunity to bring our baby to whatever place we call home.  I know it will happen.  I'm choosing to have faith.

 ♪ Somehow, somewhere, I'll see you again 

But until then, I've got dreams

of loving you  ♪ 

My Aunt, Our Angel

It's been a year.  I miss her.  We all miss her. 

One thing is for sure, we have one hell of a Guardian Angel!
Thinking about my cousins and uncle, today especially, who lost their Mom, one of the best people I've ever known.

xx

Home Is ...

Me + D + America + Family + Beach = Happy girl! 

Weisman Summer Vacation 2013 - Part 1: Flew to Wisconsin for a few days to surprise my mother in-law for her 60th birthday - an awesome, weekend long celebration!
The weekend started with a canceled flight from Philadelphia that left us drinking (not really the whole time) in the airport for nearly 10 hours!  Thankfully MomW was still surprised to see us later that evening despite the rest of the family's exciting arrivals.

Weisman Summer Vacation 2013 - Part 2: Ocean City, NJ with my family - sitting on the beach, listening to the ocean, digging in the sand, getting a tan, spending quality time with each other, and eating ice cream...every night. Yup. That's right.

Our two and a half weeks spent in "the States" were really wonderful and much needed.  After all, I was homeeee!  How could I not have an absolutely blissful time with my most favorite people in a place that I love?  Like 'they' always say, Home Is Where The Heart Is.  Right? Meaning, whatever place you long to be.  This trip certainly fit that description.  

Even though I really am enjoying London and have become much more adjusted to our life here, it still requires effort to feel emotionally attached to our current 'home'.  But, I'm working on being easier on myself.  I have endured some major life changes in the last few months and I am learning to accept that things (emotions) may not change as quickly as they would have otherwise.  So instead of Home Is Where The Heart Is, perhaps I'll start with this modification in order to begin training my mind & my heart: Home Is Where Our Story Begins ... and this story is beginning in London!

Yea, that could work.
And quite a story we'll have.  

Baby steps.

Really, though,
....at the end of the day, throughout this roller coaster of an adventure we're going on, what's most important is ...

xx

My Sis!

Before I tell you all about our wonderful, two and a half week, family packed vacation, it's imperative that we first touch upon the awesomeness that was my sister and bro's trip to London.

Let me set the stage here ...

- My sister and bro coming to London

- 4 nights, 5 days to do all that they can do and soak up as much as possible

- Last vacation (alone) was over 6.5 years ago when pregnant with G

- Leaving 3 kids (6, 4, 1) at home with Mom-Mom & Pops 

It should go without saying that the anticipation was HIGH, right?!  But, we were prepared and ready to pull out all the stops and make this the best damn trip that they have EVER, EVER been on.  Well, really, we just wanted them to enjoy themselves and relax.
The best part is, it couldn't have gone better or been more fun.  We had the most amazing time together.   Naps were had, multiple latte's were bought, sights were seen, meals were eaten, wine was gulped, and memories were surely made.

Our days were jam packed...in a good way.  A typical day went something like this: casually woke up - went to breakfast - walked around - had lunch - saw some sights (including night time tour) - had a wine and cheese picnic in the garden - got ready - out to dinner!  The pictures should be able to tell a better story.

Besides all of the incredible fun we had, it was just so great to have my sister here.  We had full conversations without interruptions from her brood, we laid in bed and talked, got ready together every night, and spent each waking moment with one another .  I couldn't have been happier.  And the fun didn't stop there.  When their vacation was over, mine and D's was beginning.  We flew home together, which made the conclusion of their trip so much more bearable.

A special thanks to my Mom and Dad (and guest stars) for making this possible.  Our time spent together is truly something we will never forget : )

Bye London!!

(Returned home just in time to have a slumber party with 2 of my favorites)

Mom & Dad Do London: Part 2

I was beyond thrilled when my Mom and Dad called to ask us if they could book another trip to London.  The words "YES PLEASEE" couldn't come out of my mouth fast enough!!!  I was so excited to spend the week with them, but really I just wanted a hug!  I hadn't seen my parents since it all went down and I desperately wanted/needed them with me.  I will say, though, that I'm quite proud of myself for surviving as long as I did without them here (I'll store that thought in my memory bank and remind myself in the future if I'm ever feeling incapable of getting by without them).  I proved I can do it  - as hard as it was.

Annnnyway . . .

This visit was a little different from when they came in May: we weren't unpacking and organizing 35 boxes, it didn't rain every.single.day (the weather was beautiful), and I was back to normal . . . feeling energized and motivated to explore.  Even though my parents insisted that their last visit was wonderful, I felt the need to make sure Mom & Dad Do London: Part 2 was even better!!!!

We had a blast together and did a lot of sightseeing around London . . . we even made it to the countryside!  It was a highly enjoyable week and I felt such comfort having my parents here with us.  Sometimes that's all it takes.

LONDON 

BATH

CANTERBURY

Canterbury Cathedral - 1st Church of England

I jumped at every opportunity while my parents were here to get on a train and head out to the country.  My goal while we are living in London is to try and see as much of England (and Europe) as possible.  The Cotswolds are next on my list.  I've heard amazing things.  If it's half as beautiful as the places we've been, we'll have a great time. 

My Sissy and Bro-in law are at the airport now waiting to board their flight to London.  Kidless!  This is the first vacation (alone) that they have been on since they've had kids.  G is 6 years old!  The pressure is ON for D and me to make sure they have the most memorable time in London.  But then again, when the four of us are together, we always a great time no matter what we do!  

Happy almost Friday!

xo, 

V