Dear Santa... Love, An Expat

Dear Santa,

Merry Christmas! Hope you're not too busy to read my letter. I know, I'm 22. I'm still allowed to do this, right?

I hope you got my address change for this year. I'm in England now... FOR GOOD. You understand my love of cold weather, right? I mean, you live in the North Pole!

Anyway, I've had a pretty good year! I got engaged and had a great summer, I survived my 22nd birthday, my UK visa got approved and I moved to England, I signed up for a half marathon in February, and I'm even done with Christmas shopping before the tree is even up!

More was even added AFTER the picture was taken. Thank you Royal Mail!

I've been very lucky this year, so my list isn't going to be very long.

But now that I'm an expat, there are some new items on the list I'd like to address.

1. Can you bring Target to the UK? Don't get me wrong, stores here are great! But nothing really says "one stop shop to blow your money on things you don't need" like Target. For the sake of humanity, England is really missing out.

TRUTH.

2. I'd really like some subtitles to travel around with. Nothing fancy. But when I talk, sometimes people don't get me. Portable subtitles that people can read would be really helpful when I'm out and about.

Just like this.

3. Can add something to my sisters Christmas list, please? She probably didn't ask for one, but I know she'd like a private jet this year so she can come see me in England whenever she wants. It'll fit in your big bag of presents, right?

4. You know how tiny and crowded English roads are? Well, I'd like a car that was just invisible to damage please. That way when I am driving on these roads no cars (or people) get hurt! Or better yet, the car could be like the Knight Bus from Harry Potter (and the Prisoner of Azkaban), the way it slows down time to squeeze through small spaces and stuff! That would be a life saver (pun intended).

(More on my UK driving later in the week!)

I'm a fantastic driver in America. Look at that concentration! And that steering wheel cover! Priorities...

5. A Mary Poppins Bag. Easy as that. If I had one of those, I wouldn't have thought I packed millions of things that I actually didn't pack (like my favorite Lululemon top.... 2 months later and I'm still bitter).

Work your magic, Santa! I know you can do it!

As per usual, can't go wrong with anything with owls on it or anything Harry Potter related.

Love,

Taylor the expat

Join the fun! Write one thing (or five!), preferably whimsical or crazy, that you would ask Santa for this year!  

Inside The Wardrobe: What Is Plaid?

Whenever I say "plaid" here, I get strange looks.

Apparently, the American "plaid" is the British "check".

Noted.

Personally, when I think of checkered print, I think of a checkered (racing) flag. More of a distinct tessellation, less of an overlapping pattern. (I can't believe I just used the word tessellation. #MathNerd)

But going on the "I'm in England and speak English" thing, I shall use the word checkered. 

I LOVE checkered prints. I secretly wish I had a uniform in school so I could have worn polo shirts, checkered skirts, and knee high socks. Call me crazy.

But nowadays, anytime I wear checkered shirts with my glasses (too lazy for contacts most days), I get called a wannabe hipster. (As opposed to any other day where I just get called Amy Farrah Fowler. PICK A SIDE, PEOPLE! I CAN'T BE BOTH!) For the record, I'm not a wannabe hipster. Just a girl with poor eyesight.

So I'm going to go with a more subtle checkered print.

Jumper . . Shirt . . Trousers . . Shoes . . Necklace

I really like layers as the weather gets colder. I think check shirts go great under plain jumpers with the collar over the top and the checkered sleeves rolled up over the jumper's sleeves.

(Since the red is a bit of a contrast to the green trousers, I'd definitely keep the check shirt tucked in but leave the jumper out.)

And how cute is that dog necklace??? I know normally I'm an owl fiend, but I couldn't resist this little pup! 

How do you like to style check/plaid prints?? 
And totally off topic, do you have a celebrity look alike? Do people constantly tell you that you look like someone else?? (Like I get, "hey, you look like that girl from The Big Bang Theory!")

(Link up with My Friday's Fancies)

Not-So Home For The Holidays Gift Guide

In my X-Mas For Expats post, I talked about sending care packages to family and friends.

You don't need to spend a fortune to show the ones you love that you're thinking about them from another continent!

My parents are coming to England for the first time for the wedding. More specifically, they are leaving the country for the first time for the wedding. I don't know how they are going to take to the cold, the food, or even the accent. But this Christmas, I'm going to try to prepare them with these lovely gifts for my parents across the pond!

Passport Holders - My parents are getting their very first passports to come see me! Yes, over 40 years on planet Earth and they never got a passport. Passport holders will be perfect for them this Christmas, or any traveler in your family! (Side note, the Fiance hilariously wanted to get them holders that said "My First Passport". The best part was, it had pictures on baby toys on them and were baby blue and pink. I still say we should have done it!)

Amazon Gift Card - I'm 99% sure my step mom is getting a Kindle Fire HD this Christmas, and I'm sure she's not the only one getting on the tablet wagon this year. Gift cards are great (whether they are for Amazon or Apple), that way they can buy different apps and books for when they're on long plane journeys. Just be careful of the currency you buy it in!

Plug Adapters - Obviously a must for anyone going across the pond. Nothing worse than buying some and then finding out your plugs don't fit into the adapter (true story, happened to me many times). So giving them these as an early traveling present will spare them the hassle of buying them once they arrive (or having to buy those "kits" with every plug under the sun). And if their American plugs don't fit, we still have plenty of time to get ones that do fit!

Sweets and Treats - Of course, you have to give them a taste of what they will be enduring when they come to visit. Throw in your favorites and hopefully they will enjoy them, too! (By the way, LOVING Dairy Milk Oreo Flavor these days. Anyone else agree??)

So instead of buying your dad a tie/cufflinks set and your mom some oven mits, try sending them their own personal travel care package! The possibilities are endless (language guides, sightseeing books, a photo album for all their pictures). But these are the things I've found most practical for my family!

And how amazing is this card??

Happy Christmas from Southampton! So cool!!

Such a cute idea (from the Card Factory)! My family should definitely look out of these, too! Cards are so underrated in the States. Nothing made me happier as a kid than getting cards. I completely fell in love with sending cards again once I came to England!

What do you send home for the holidays? Whether you're across the country or across the world, what would you include for the perfect "care package" to your family that's unique and personal?

You Eat WHAT For Breakfast?!

Take a second to watch this video. (Major kudos to Sam for introducing me to the video in this post!)



Alright, now what did you learn?

"Biscuits and gravy" does not mean McVities and the stuff you pour all over your Sunday roast.

Biscuits and gravy is a southern style breakfast that looks a little something like this:

WTF is in that? Looks like a whole bunch of mush.

When I say "southern style", I mean that it's more common in the southern and stereotypically "country" states.

(Florida is a funny place. North Florida is more "southern" and South Florida is more "northern". Lot's of people move to South Florida from New York, New Jersey, Eastern Canada, and New England, therefore making it more northern. North Florida is closer to Georgia and Alabama, therefore making it more southern. My mom was from New Jersey and my dad/step mom's family is from North Carolina, making me a whole bunch of confused.)

I thought when I moved to England, that would be the end to some of my favorite meals. This one included. But that's definitely not the case!

First things first, we need to define some words for everyone in the UK. Yes, it's your turn to get an English lesson today!

Biscuit - I'd say this is a savory version of a scone. It's not sweet like they are for a cream tea. They're more buttery. Typically if you think of American fast food chains such as KFC or Hardee's, you think of these biscuits.

Before and after pics of the biscuits. Helpful hint: we used the rim of a pint glass to cut out the biscuit from the dough! Talk about getting crafty!

Gravy - There really is no British equivalent to this. Gravy is the result of mixing all the flavors of spiced breakfast sausage (but not the typical links of it like in a fry up), mixing it with milk, and thickening it with flour.

(The sausage we used was found in the frozen food section of Sainsbury's and was without the encasing normally found for sausage links.) 

Sausage made into patties before grinding it up and adding it to the "gravy"

We (and when I say "we", I really mean the Fiance. I'm useless in the kitchen.) based our recipe off of this one and my family's own southern recipe.

It just goes to show that with a little extra effort and some trial and error, "home" cooked food doesn't have to feel thousands of miles away!

(If you want me to do a full post on how to make UK-friendly biscuits and gravy, let me know and I will!)

What meals do you miss when you're not in your home country? Have you ever tried to make something "foreign" and succeeded? Or failed miserably?

X-Mas For Expats

Well, it's December!!

And in case you didn't know, that means everything Christmas is acceptable!!

Unless your name is cranky the cat.

(That's my cat by the way. Bundle of joy, she is!)

I miss my cat. And I miss a lot of things about America. But this will be my fourth consecutive Christmas in England.

I honestly can't remember Christmas anywhere else but England! It's felt so normal since my first Christmas here in 2009. In fact, I'd probably be very confused spending Christmas in Florida.

But this year is different.

The good thing about it is that when the new year rolls around, I won't be getting on a plane and going back to America! The bad thing about it is that when the new year rolls around, I won't be getting on a plane and going back to America.

And I really don't consider it a "bad" thing that I'm not leaving by any means. Seriously, I've stopped calling Florida "home" and there's never a moment where I regret moving. But it also means that everything I miss stays very distant.

I've thought about it, and I made a list of ways to cope with not being in your native country over Christmas.

Send a care package to your family/friends - Nothing too big or expensive, but lots of things that they can't get where they live. Since my parents are coming to England for the wedding (first time EVER leaving the country for them), I'm sending them a box full of the things they will need for their long international journey across the pond.

Hope for a care package for yourself - I know this is the season of giving, but come on, you know you're craving that massive bag of your favorite sweets. It's perfectly acceptable to drop hints at your friends/family members to immediately drive to Target and buy those little things you miss.

Do something incredibly American (or whatever country you're from!) - She's Not From Yorkshire is probably the queen of doing the stereotypical American thing to dodge homesickness. I will officially announce that I will be the Vice Prez of that club. Go and order a Venti of your favorite Starbucks drink. Find a TGIFriday's (like the Fiance and I did on Thanksgiving) and order your favorite appetizers and laugh at their "flair". You'll feel so American that you'll need to get back to reality by watching a Stephen Fry TV show.

And then take a picture of it like a tourist because you're a really really cool person who takes pictures in Starbucks

Don't worry about holiday indulging - You have enough on your plate (no pun intended), the holidays are about spending time with your loved ones, and eating. And then lots of eating with your loved ones. Don't worry about having more Christmas pudding with lots of cream or drinking that extra glass of mulled wine.

Schedule a family Skype date - Hopefully your family knows how to use technology (mine suck at using technology). Plan a group Skype date so you can see everyone at once and it's like you're at a family get together! Dress up, reminisce, hint about the care package that you desire.

Do something new - Go to the zoo, eat at a new restaurant, find the town's local German market, go to a Christmas pantomime. Do something weird that you've never done before! Take pictures and tell your family that you'll take them the next time that they visit you in your new home!

Has anyone been to the London Dungeons?? Do it! It's fun!!

For me, I don't get "home sick" easily. When I was in Florida, I would say I was "England-sick" because I missed it so much (and of course the Fiance). So me being here feels right. But that doesn't mean I don't miss my cranky cat every once in a while. And these things definitely help!!

Where do you normally spend the holidays?? Do you go away? Stay at home? Where would your ideal December be spent?? 
Any other tips for spending the holidays far from your native country?