Care Packages Galore

We all know I am a massive fan of care packages, right? Right?! How great is it to get some of your favourite things in a care package from another country? And it's always good to show your friends and family that you are thinking about them even when you are far away!

Anyway, I just sent my sister and my friend Renee two different care packages using Parcelforce yesterday afternoon! I am beyond excited for them to get them! I've been buying lots of bits and bobs here and there (this sounds so British, doesn't it??) to send to them and finally they're off to the states!

Let me show you!
 

This one here is for my sister! When she came to England in February she fell in love (as did I) with the Coconut Kit Kats, hence why she is getting a bunch now! (And obviously I bought a bunch for myself at the same time... Ooops!)

Have you tried these yet?? They're call 'Marvellous Creations' and they are absolutely magical. It's just like something out of Willy Wonka! They have pop rocks IN the chocolate!

The wrapped pink thing is actually this cute little pencil from Accessorize; I had them wrap it up at the store for my 5 year old niece! The cat stickers are for her, too! 5 year olds like stickers, right? Those stickers plus the adorable sticky notes are from the Paperchase pushy cats line. 

This one is for my friend Renee! She collects 'foxy' things as much as I collect owls! Obviously, I saw those socks and couldn't resist! She's also going to get her fair share in chocolate from me; I hope she doesn't mind! I love how the chocolate I bought from Belgium actually says 'Belgian Chocolate' on it. Just in case you forgot! 


I had such a good time shopping for these care packages! I seriously can't wait to send some to other family members and friends this summer! Cheers to being in the 21st century and fast traveling parcel services!

Who do you normally send care packages to (or receive packages from)?? What types of goodies are normally in there?? 

My Life Is Complete

I held an owl.

Excuse the messy hair. Focus on cute owl on my arm.

His name is AJ. Although he looks thoroughly unimpressed, he really did enjoy my company.

It looks like we are deep in conversation.

 How was your weekend?? Did you hold any animals??

Work It - Part 2

After I posted my tips for staying proactive during unemployment and tips for expats on the job hunt, I had a lot questions asking more specifically about preparing for interviews.

Like I said before, I'm not an interview expert! I just know what works for me.

If you are spontaneous and can fly by the seat of your pants during an interview, that's great. I envy your ability to think on your feet and still sound normal.

For me, I like preparation. And lots of it.

So I'm going to tell you some of my "secrets".

Okay, so they aren't secrets. But having this much preparation saved me from having a panic attack before some interviews. 

Hopefully you've attended interviews before. You know the types of questions they ask. I kept a log of interview questions that I thought I should have prepared better or that I saw come up multiple times. This was part of my routine of staying proactive during my months of unemployment!

Obviously, the goal isn't to write out scripts to memorize. The goal is to have a general idea for common interview questions so that you don't waste time stumbling over thoughts and ideas. Keep these in a notebook so you can review them before an interview.

Some things that I always have prepared in my notebook:  

1. Personal Anecdotes - The worst and most nerve wracking thing is when they ask "give me an example of....." and your mind goes blank. I like to have a bunch of these in my head already so there's no awkward silences or "ummm...." moments.

So in my head I always had anecdotes for:

Proudest working achievement

Proudest personal achievement

Example of when I had to work as part of a team

Example of taking leadership

And then anything specific to the job role or industry. 

2. Personality Traits - What makes you stand out from other applicants!

I definitely prepare these because I like to use unique words that will stand out in the interviewers mind. Off the top of your head it's easy to say you're "hard-working, organized, punctual." But they probably hear these words in every single interview. Think of words that are different but still bring your point across. Reliable and self driven are two of my fave words to whip out at an interview. I also like to say "bubbly" instead of "friendly". Little things like that can make you more memorable to an interviewer. But be careful with these "unique" words. Be able to back up your claims. After stating that I was self-driven once, the interviewer asked me to back up that claim with an example. Luckily, I came prepared! But don't just go blurting out adjectives about yourself if they aren't true or if you can't provide good examples. 

On the other hand, have some negative traits about yourself at the ready, too. I've never been asked that, but apparently that does come up in some interviews! Obviously, be smart about this. Turn your negatives into positives. Don't declare your laziness or bad habit of partying on weekdays to an interviewer.

3. Familiarizing - If you take anything away from this list, please let it be this!

Familiarize yourself with the company. Utilize as many resources as possible! Many companies these days have websites, Facebook pages, Twitters, and/or LinkedIn pages. I've literally had jobs ask me straight up "what do you know about the company". Obviously, you don't need to know the nitty gritty. But having a few bullet points in your head might be the difference between getting a job and getting your application thrown out. They won't take you seriously if you don't even know what company or role you're interviewing for.

Familiarize yourself with your CV/resume/references. That sounds like a given, right? But it never hurts to come fully prepared. All 4 of my interviews here in England have started "So talk me through your previous jobs on your CV." They don't want your life's story, but it's good to already know in your head your jobs in the order that they appear on your CV and key points about each (especially if you can relate those key points to the job you're interviewing for). I was also asked multiple times "What would you former manager/colleagues/co-workers say about you?" That's why it's good to familiarize yourself with your references. Have in your mind the positive characteristics these managers/colleagues/co-workers would describe you with.

And when all else fails, be yourself! Don't lie about accomplishments and act like somebody you're not. You don't want the interviewer looking like this....

What tips would you give others about interviewing either at home or in another country?

6 Month Expat Check In

Hello! Happy Monday! (Actually, now that I'm working full time, I know that there's really no such thing as a happy Monday.... Apologies....)

So all of last week I was so excited for Friday. Not only was it Friday (TGIF!), but it was also my 6 month anniversary of moving to England! I had big plans of celebrating this day. And then Friday rolled around and I didn't remember until about 9 PM! Talk about anticlimactic.

But I did remember that back in September, I wrote about my great expectations for my big move across the pond.

Obviously, I have to check in and see how these are doing 6 months down the line!

Learn to drive on the other side of the road... and the other side of the car...

Look! How very strange!

Well, remember that one time I learned to drive? Yeah... That's been the only time so far. I've been busy. Alex has been busy. The weather has been crap. It's okay. I don't plan on getting a car any time soon, if ever. But I'd still love to get back out there and try again! (When I say "get back out there", I mean "get back to the abandoned lot where I can't destroy anything.")

Run more (and in colder weather). Well, that did happen. I had a half marathon to train for, after all! I was running about 4 times a week at one point. Now, I've been super lazy about running. Oops. And the running in colder weather has been inevitable! So that's definitely happened. I need to get back into a routine and train for something....

Race more.

I actually look like I know what I'm doing here. I'm probably thinking "I want Nandos" or something.

Yep, did that! I've done 4 races in England so far, so I've more than doubled my amount of races that I did in America. I do actually love racing. The trouble is finding races close-ish to me. I feel like they skimp on races here. (Can anyone recommend any races in the south of England??)

Join a gym and/or running club. I joined a running club! Best. Decision. Ever. I'd recommend it to anyone regardless of whether you're an expat or new to an area or not. I haven't joined a gym, but I have looked into it. I think I will actually join one within the next month or so now that I'm working.

Understand the London Underground. Yes. I understand the tube and have used it (by myself! Just this past Saturday actually!!) I'm so very proud of my abilities.

Understand public transportation in general. I've taken trains on my own and stuff. Does that count?? I'm going to say it does.


Spell words with u's and s's and y's and such.

Where's the Z?!

This is honestly an epic fail. I spell things like an American. From now on, I'll be trying my hardest to spell things "properly".

Learn more about the Alex. When I wrote my original expectations list, I wrote "sometimes at random moments, I find myself going 'Hmm... I wonder if he likes blue cheese.'" I can now confirm I know he likes blue cheese. You're welcome for that fun fact.

Be a close knit family. I really wanted to embrace the proximity of Alex's family to each other. I guess I kind of have...? I don't know where I was going with this expectation. Nobody hates me yet. But I also let them freely call me a yank and talk about that time I said the word shit in front of Grandma. (It slipped out. I promised I am ashamed still) So we're close!

Keep in touch with the other side of the pond as much as possible. Skype and Whatsapp are amazing things. So are normal phones, when people remember how to use them!

The end.

I think these 6 months have gone by both slowly and quickly. It feels like I've been here ages. And 6 months sounds like an incredibly long time. But time has also flown by! It's April! (In case you didn't know!) And I feel like I've done a lot in the time that I've been here!

Can't wait for the next 6 months!

Tips For The Expat Job Hunter

I recently told you guys a bit about my job hunt, right? I honestly couldn't have done it without loads of patience, preparation, and making the best of my American experiences in a foreign country.

Every interview I had always brought up the fact that I had never worked in the UK before. Well, you gotta start somewhere, right?!

If you're on the hunt for employment in a foreign country (and have the legal right to... duh), here are 5 tips to help you out!

1. Register with a job agency - I started off doing a lot of applying online and a few people suggested I submit my CV on job sites. However, I also had a lot of luck with a local job agency! They find jobs that aren't necessarily listed online at all and can give you some great pointers about the interview process or your CV. But definitely do your research! Don't just register with anyone. Find an agency that's right for you that works with the types of jobs you are seeking. Obviously, make sure you have your legal right to work in your new country first.

2. Turn your resume into a CV - Did you see the post I did for the Expat Hub? If not, check it out! It's all about how I turned my American resume into a CV! I definitely recommend doing this if you plan on submitting anything to potential employers. It just shows that you took a bit of initiative to do the UK norm.   

3. Get e-mail references - Probably the best bit of advice. If you do anything, seriously, do this. Before my working visa was even approved, I was nervous that no one would hire me because I only had international references. A friend of mine recommended I get a hold of some former bosses, managers, and/or colleagues and have them email me professional references (and include their email address in it). I printed them out and was able to give them to my interviewer. Whether or not they checked the reference (by emailing them), I have no idea. But again, showing a little initiative never hurts!

4. Practise writing/typing with the native spelling (even if it's not your favourite thing to do) - Do as I say, not as I do! I'm not very good at typing in British English. Then again, I don't try very hard to catch myself doing it either. Oops... Someone get on my case please. No but seriously, make sure you practise typing the way your employer would want you to. Sending important emails are going to be no fun if you can't spell correctly!

5. Prepare for harsher questions about your skills - That sounds mean. I'm sorry. But it's what I experienced during a lot of my interviews over here. It's not like they're being discriminatory; it's more like they're trying to find a weakness like they would with anyone they were interviewing. I got questions like, "How do we know you want this job and aren't just looking for any job to be your 'first UK job'?" or "Do you feel your communication skills are strong enough for this position?" Just have confidence and think ahead in case anything like this comes up.

And then..... When you finally do get a job.... Sorry.

First world problems....

Do you have any tips for expats job hunting in their new home?

Work It

We all know I haven't worked since I moved to England.

And that's been hard.

I mean, not like what I've done before was particularly strenuous...

You know, working hard with Stitch...

Most of jobs have been exactly that... Jobs. Not careers.

I do have the face of a professional summer camp counselor

But I have to admit.... The most strenuous part of my life was when I didn't have a job. I've had a job since I was 16. I thought I was going to go nuts!

Whether you choose to be unemployed or you are actively seeking new opportunities, the days can be long and tedious. It can take a toll on your mentality.

In my case, I couldn't work. Under the terms of my visa I couldn't work or even volunteer (thanks UK Border Agency).

When I was finally able to work, it was irritating not getting any calls. Okay, I will admit I am very impatient, especially when it comes to my goals and the time frame when I want them to happen. (I only got approval to work in the UK on the 12th of Feb)

I will say I have been incredibly lucky.

I applied to 10 different jobs. I got 4 interviews, and got offered all 4 jobs. 

Most recently (aka last Wednesday) I got offered the best out of the 4; I considered that one the "stretch". I had my hopes set on it because it was the best hours and pay, but knew there were probably more qualified people going for it as well.

I won't go into detail just because it's new and I'd like to keep at least this one thing private in my life (which admittedly is hard when my entire life is all over the internet).

But I will say that I stayed very proactive during my months of unemployment. In my case, I knew a time frame for when I could work, so a lot of what I did reflected that. 

I'm not a job expert, and I am not claiming to be.

But I do know what helped me stay sane during my days of job hunting and staring at a computer screen. 

Here are my 5 tips for staying proactive during a period of unemployment:

1. Make sure your resume/CV is perfect - That sounds like a given, but you'd be surprised. Checking it every other day for little errors or out of date information can be a lifesaver. That way, when you start applying for jobs you don't have to waste time fixing or changing it. (Prime example, in my CV I have a Personal Interests section that said "I'm currently training for my first half marathon" when I had already done the half! Oops!)

Shameless half marathon pic right there. So in the zone (and looking like I'm catching flies with my mouth!)

2. Make daily lists - Even if they are stupid lists, make them! So many times I just put thoughts in the back of my head saying I'd do them and then they'd get put off for days. Even if the list is "run, remove nail polish, clean sink, organize closet." Write it down (no matter how insignificant the task is) and cross things off your list!

3. Make a cover letter template - In my experience, most cover letters are incredibly similar. Make a generic one that encompasses you and your experience and how that translates to wanting to work for _______. Now when you apply to different jobs, you won't have to write a million cover letters. Just make sure you still proof read before submitting it to a potential employer. Nothing is worse than having the wrong company name in your cover letter!

4. Do things you love - Sometimes, it's hard to want to get up and put on socially acceptable clothing for a day that you have nothing planned for. But maintaining your hobbies definitely helps. For me, it was running! I trained for a half marathon during my months of unemployment. It was a good routine to get into when I had, well absolutely no routine whatsoever! 

5. Still keep a current calender or agenda - I know the last thing you want to do is open up your daily or monthly agenda and be like "oh look at all this nothing I have to do!" But keep it up to date with events or plans you make ahead of time. When you do start getting interviews, you'll be happy you did! You might forget about that wedding next month or how you promised your cousin you'd help them move.

Like I said, there may be many reasons why you are unemployed.

The economy still isn't great. More and more people aren't finding the right fit at their current job. You can't find something that utilized your degree.

But if you're trying your luck at the job hunting game, these 5 things really can help you stay sane and positive about the outcome!  

Have you had a period in your life where you couldn't work or couldn't find work? What tips would you give someone to stay proactive during a time of unemployment??

WTF Wednesday - British Edition

I love the idea of WTF Wednesday posts. They always put a smile on my face!

So here's one of my own! Not a weekly WTF segment... Just some things that I found that entitled a reaction of WTF... In England!

I was walking around Tesco with no intentions of finding anything weird (except the occasional horse meat product... yes, obligatory horse meat joke...) when I happened to find 3 things that caught my eye.

#1

Llamas?! Different flavor llama crackers. And appropriately dressed llamas for each flavor. Well actually, I don't know what a yellow scarf has to do with cheese. But I won't question your choice of outfit Mr. Cheese Llama. (Are these llamas made of horse meat? Kidding... I know, overused horse meat joke....)

#2

These are GOLDFISH! The fact that they're calling them Finz here is just hilarious! (Well, I'm probably the only one who finds it hilarious.) How did I go nearly 4 years without seeing these?!

#3

Five quid for Lucky Charms, anyone?? That doesn't seem over priced at all, does it?! (Sarcasm) I am now typing into Google "5 GBP to USD" and that box of cereal is a whopping $7.51!! They're magically delicious exorbitant! 

Do you have anything you want to add to WTF Wednesday - British Edition today??

My Wedding Day

Day 5 is everything about my wedding day, which was the 8th of February 2013.

For the last day of Wedding Week, I thought I'd do a Wedding Day Recap. I've read race recaps out the kazoo (and re-read the good ones) but I've never really seen a Wedding Day Recap.

So here we go. Everything you wanted to know (and probably loads of random stuff, too) about the day I married that lovely man with an accent.

(I won't go through all the random getting ready stuff.... But anything amusing or funny that happened I'll tell you!)

I woke up super early that morning. I didn't even set an alarm, but it was clear no one else was awake. (By the way, me and my entire family were staying at Alex's parent's Bed & Breakfast. So when I say no one was awake, I seriously mean no one out of the 15+ people at the house were awake. And Alex was staying there, too, but in a separate room so we wouldn't see each other. He was leaving early to get ready anyway.)

There was a feeling in my stomach that I immediately thought was nerves. I thought, "Oh, I'm finally getting nervous! It's my wedding day!!"

The more I sat there thinking about it, the more I figured out I wasn't nervous..... I was hungry. (Is that normal??) I couldn't leave to get food though because Alex hadn't left! It was agreed the night before that I would stay inside my room until he left.

(He finally left and I ate breakfast in case anyone was worried.)

We'll fast forward to the actual wedding now...

Part of the "Civil Ceremony" process is meeting individually with the registrars to talk about the ceremony and go over the scripts. While talking with them, they said they've never met someone so calm before. I said "I feel like I should be nervous! But I'm not!!" They were shocked.

We were getting married upstairs at the venue, so I would have to walk up the stairs and wait on the landing until they were ready to play my music.

The assistant registrar looked at the time and said "Oh you have a few minutes to wait so just relax."

Not even 10 seconds later (not an exaggeration!), my music starts playing. She gestures for me to finish walking up the stairs and I'm like "I THOUGHT YOU SAID I HAD A FEW MINUTES!!!!!!!!"

Oops.

I immediately burst into tears. Full on ugly crying.

(By the way I picked "Waiting for the lights" [an instrumental piece] from the Disney movie Tangled. Don't judge. It was perfect.)

I walked down the aisle with my dad and my uncle on either side of me. I know that's not customary (trust me, it caused lots of drama, so you don't have to tell me twice!) but it's what I wanted. I didn't care what everyone thought. It was my wedding! If I said I wanted to walk down with 2 penguins by my side, I would have wanted support! 

Anyway, my dad and my uncle had to drag me down the aisle. I kept stopping because I didn't want there to be pictures of me bawling my eyes out. And they both said "you're not going to stop crying, so just keep going." They were right.

I didn't even see anything. I didn't see any guests or where we were. I didn't even hear any music. I saw Alex. And he was laughing at my ugly crying face. I didn't even see what he was wearing. He could have worn a banana costume and I wouldn't have noticed. I was too busy mentally telling him "I know I look a hot mess. Don't judge me. Don't laugh because it's making me laugh. Oh and btw I love you."

I'm crying and smiling. I know, it's not a good look for me.

What you need to know about me is that when I cry in front of people, I laugh. I get really uncomfortable and just start laughing. It's very strange. But it made all of our guests laugh because I couldn't stop laughing and crying at the same time.

The registrar had a hard time keeping the guests quiet because they were laughing (in a good way!) at me laughing and crying. She said "I can tell this is going to be a funny one!" 

When it was my turn to speak (the vows) I was fine, because I was concentrating so hard on remembering what she said and what I had to repeat. When Alex spoke, that's when I lost it. Because I had nothing to concentrate on. I had time to remember "OMG I'm getting married!" 

Sneezing? No, just laughing and crying!

I'm really happy that our guests and registrar were so patient. I was afraid all my blubbering would annoy them, but they understood my very strange ways.

Part of a civil ceremony is signing the paperwork in front of everyone (and having the witnesses sign). Guests weren't allowed any pictures during the real signing, but they brought a fake book for us to sit at and pretend we're signing. I found that hilarious. Like, "we're signing stuff! How romantic!"

Alex isn't really signing.... He's a good actor though!

Finally, we were husband and wife!

And could eat our amazing cupcakes!!!

Everyone came up to us downstairs and said that the ceremony was exactly like our personalities. I was slightly embarrassed over my ugly crying, but everyone said that if the wedding didn't go like that, it wouldn't have been our wedding! 

We had our wedding meal (which was a roast dinner) and I wore about 7 napkins on top of me so I wouldn't spill anything on my white dress.... It worked though!

After that, it was time to party!

I was so excited for all of our other guests to arrive. I was on such a high from the day that I couldn't wait to share it with everyone!

(Little did I know how much my cheeks would hurt after smiling so much!)

We were taking loads of group pictures with family and friends. Alex wanted a "Stag Do" (Bachelor Party) picture with all his friends that went with him. They got their shot and then wanted one with me in the picture. They said they'd pick me up and lay me across everyone's arms.

So on the count of 3 they started to pick me up. Well, I think only about half the guys were paying attention, because my legs and torso went up up up.... and my shoulders and head plummeted to the ground! Imagine my surprise! I'm getting dropped on my head at my own wedding!

Luckily, my head never reached the ground. I was too busy holding up my strapless dress to notice. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the event (that I know of! Some lazy person might upload one to Facebook soon. I will keep you posted!).

This was the Plan B picture for when the first one didn't work out.

We had a blast regardless. And then there was cake in my face.

 

Purely an American tradition, didn't you get the memo, Alex?!


And then we danced!

(All of these pictures look like I'm a pro at making ridiculous faces. I promise I'm normal sometimes!)

I tell Alex all the time that he is a terrible dancer. He IS a terrible dancer! I didn't think it was possible to be that bad. When we practiced our first dance, he was bad. Then when it came for our real first dance, I was a train wreck! You'd think someone sewed my feet on backwards. I blame it on the fact that I couldn't pirouette or leap in my dress, you know, show off me real skills. But I actually can (well, that's questionable nowadays) dance!

That was our wedding day. Like I said yesterday, it went by so fast. I know planning it and budgeting for it and dealing with guest drama is hard and overwhelming. But trust me, it's worth it! It was the best day of my life by far! He's my best friend in the whole world; I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.

Thank you for tuning in to Wedding Week to see my adventures, advice, and across the pond comparisons! I hope you've enjoyed reading about it; I know I've enjoyed reliving it! 

Inside the Wardrobe: Black Friday 2012

Nothing irritates someone who works in retail more than the words BLACK FRIDAY.

(For those of you not familiar, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving where there are massive sales, long queues to get into stores, and crazy people attacking other people for electronic items. It also, in my opinion, ruined a lot of what Thanksgiving is about by making workers go in at midnight for the sake of insane shoppers. I'll save that rant for another time.)

I've worked nearly every Black Friday since I was 16. I've gotten to work at 4 AM. I've dealt with irritating savings-hungry customers. I've arrived at work over an hour in advance just to attempt to find parking. I've made cupcakes for my team to boost morale. I've braved the chaos that is the food court. I've done and seen it all.

Now that I'm in England, Black Friday is a thing of the past. No Thanksgiving = No Black Friday. (I know, I know, Boxing Day Sales. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.)

So to me here in England, Friday the 23rd of November is just another day to shop.

This week was inspired by Black Friday, and of course, the color black. 

Dress . . Tights . . Scarf . . Jacket . . Flats . . Earrings

I feel like any time I wear a lot of black, someone always brings it up as being weird. One time I wore a black dress with leggings my parents said "What are YOU mourning today?!" Cool.

So whenever I wear black, I like to add some color by wearing a patterned scarf. I usually go for floral prints, but I fell in love with this scarf because it has discrete owls all over it!

I'm also in love with tights right now. I think it's because I never really got the chance to wear fashion tights in Florida (tights for dance class though, I know all about!) except when my mom dressed me up when I was 6 to keep me warm from the cold front that was 59 degrees Fahrenheit. I have a pair of burgundy tights like those and they go really great with black and cream outfits!

Finally, top it off with an edgy jacket to stay warm and simple flats to stay comfy during the 12+ hour shopping day that is Black Friday.

Hope you guys in America have fun shopping today and that everyone stays safe! As for England, well like I said, today is just another excuse to go shopping! But apparently ASDA and Amazon were advertizing Black Friday sales online only! So how about THAT!

Anybody have Black Friday horror stories?! Either from working retail or from shopping?? 
What do you like to wear when you go shopping? Do you dress up or do you tend to stay casual? 
Does anyone in England wish there was a Black Friday equivalent over here? Would you take advantage of the sales or would the crowds scare you away? 

(Link up with My Friday's Fancies)

Rugby Part 2 - It's A Try Not A Touchdown

Like I said yesterday, I went to my first rugby game this past Saturday!!

Sun setting during the game. It gets dark at like 4 here! I'm really sorry Alaska, I couldn't deal with you. 

Not going to lie, I was as confused as ever. Not only is rugby not so popular in the States, I don't think it's a prime sport for anyone without the Y chromosome to watch on the regular. 

So I present to you from my point of view, a random list of things you should know about the game of rugby.

You pass backwards - And it's not counterproductive! The team lines up and passes to their teammate behind them commonly in a diagonal formation. The last person gets smashed by big, strong people on the other team and the process starts again for whichever person gets the ball.

There is no "faffing about" - (one of my fave phrases recently is faffing about, by the way) There's not so much milking the time clock as there is in, oh, every other sport. In football (soccer), if someone falls over, the player rolls around and has a bit of a moan before they realize no one cares and then they get back up. In rugby, no one stayed on the ground for longer than 3 seconds unless they were piling on top of the ball and/or the opposite team.

It makes American Football look like elegant dancing - Okay maybe that's a stretch. Not to offend my own country's sport, but look at what rugby players wear compared to what American football players wear. Rugby, from what I've watched, is a lot more violent; it's also acceptable to be violent (within reason, obviously).

See? No big shoulder pads!

They stop the clock - In football (soccer) it's all go go go go go and they don't stop the clock, which is great. In rugby, the clock stops. It was nice for me because I could ask my dumb questions and not feel like I was speaking to the entranced, focused, and seemingly brain dead people around me. 

The scrum; it's actually mightier than it sounds - Basically the teams bunch up in a violent head to head huddle in order to get the ball. Lots of GRRRRs and grunts heard from the Ref Link earpiece. I had to ask the Fiance what the referee was saying because due to the accent and the poor quality of the radio it sounded like the ref was just saying "punch!" Apparently, it was "touch". I think "punch" would have been more appropriate....

The people are like, 12 feet tall!! -Well, maybe they're not 12 feet tall all the time. That would be craziness. But during a "line out" (done after the ball goes out of bounds), the players can get lifted up really high into the air in order to get the ball. Pretty awesome.

No, not interpretive dancing. It's a statue outside the stadium of the players getting lifted into the air!

It's called a try, not a touchdown - Don't say touchdown. You'll get evil looks. A "try" is the touchdown equivalent in rugby. Except once the team runs it into their "end zone" (called the try line), it must be put on the ground with full control by the player. So technically, if the team is inching towards the try line, the other team can block the ball with their hand to prevent them from scoring. Likewise, if the ball stumbles out of the players hand behind the try line, it doesn't count either. Tricky, isn't it?

So there you have it! Everything useful you need to know about the game of rugby.

Oh the points system you ask? Just listen to the amount of enthusiasm of the drunken people behind you singing "Swing low, sweet chariot" to determine whether or not your team is winning. That's what's more important.

If you were visiting the UK from abroad, or you had friends/family visiting the UK from abroad, would you rather go to a football (soccer), cricket, or rugby game and why?

11/11/11 Revisited

On November 11, 2011, I randomly wrote down 11 wishes. 

(I kind of like dates like that... 11/11... because no matter where you are in the world, it's the same! There's no month/day day/month drama.)

I used to make wishes on 11:11 as a kid. Sometimes I still do if I see it, but most of the time I just wish for things to work out. I don’t really think about specific wishes anymore. I just say “I wish for things to just work out the way that they should.” When I was little, though, I used to wish for stupid things like green eyes or that Hogwarts letter that never quite made it my way. (It's because I'm American, isn't it?!) 

So I'd like to revisit my 11 wishes that I never shared with anyone (until now!) and see how everything turned out a year later. All wishes are written verbatim from my list. 

1. I wish to do well in my final semester of school. I guess I did that, I mean, they gave me a degree in December 2011. Wahey!

Christmas tree and a cap and gown! Yes!

2. I wish for my car to remain functioning and not cause me unwanted stress or cost me boatloads of money (no that is not 3 wishes in one!) Oh dear, I was having so many car problems around this time last year. Well my car lasted me until I left for England (kind of) so I suppose my wish came true. 

3. I wish for the gods of tipping to be good to me in my last couple of weeks at work (mostly so I can give good Christmas presents to my boyfriend) Aww, aren't I thoughtful. I bought loads of stuff on Black Friday that year, so I guess the gods of tipping fulfilled their part of the deal! Has anyone else been a waiter/waitress before?

Harrods Christmas tree! There's just something about Harrods' Christmas lights!

 4. I wish to have a happy and healthy Christmas in England (and for his family to have happiness and healthiness, too!) I remember writing this because there were some hard times going on for the Fiance's side of the pond prior to Christmas. Despite that, we had a lovely Christmas as always! 

5. I wish my niece gets well soon! She has pneumonia! Never fear, my little trooper got better! 

6. I wish I could run faster for longer periods of time. Well, I'm still super slow. But I think I'm getting better! I can run further than I thought was possible. And come February, I'll be running 13.1 miles no matter what!

7. I wish I didn't always get so discouraged. Back to the running, of course. A year ago, I think I was in a less confident place with my pace and personal records. But now I just think, hey, I'm faster than you on the couch. So there! 

8. I wish I still danced. I can honestly say I no longer wish that. I danced when I was 2 all the way until I was 18. It was my life. And I'm seriously surprised I wished for that a year ago! Because now I don't care that I don't dance anymore; I've left that part of my life behind me. I have lots more things that make me happy. 

What an outfit.

9. I wish I could settle down in a place that you could walk everywhere and get easy public transportation and find a career in a place that will make me happy and pay the bills plus some! (I understand, 11/11/11 gods, that is a very loaded wish) This was literally my life one year ago. I was still a student. I worked in a restaurant. And I hated my car for causing me so much grief. And now, look where I've settled down! England! 

10. I wish I could eat healthier for cheaper! (Very awkward phrasing but the meaning is there.) That's really random. I guess I was on this Whole Foods kick back then and wanted to eat healthier. I guess I should get back into that mentality seeing as I have a wedding dress to fit in to.... 

11. I wish to have fun and remain safe on my Disney Cruise Line contract and have boatloads (PUN INTENDED) of internet access so I can talk to (the Fiance) about my adventures. That happened! I had fun, I remained safe, and I spoke to Alex as much as possible! I'm going to say thank you wish #11 because I never contracted norovirus and I came back alive! And I had LOTS of adventures! (By the way I used his real name in the wish. He wasn't my Fiance yet!) 

Yep, I got paid to do that in Hawaii.

I can't believe it; so much has changed in a year! Lots of great things have happened, and 2012 isn't even over yet! Thank you, gods of 11/11/11 for working your magic! 

What do you wish for on 11:11? Did anyone else make 11 wishes on 11/11/11?