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