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?? 

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!

Guest Post - Spring Has Almost Sprung

(Hi friends! Today's post is brought to you by the Expat Hub, which is a Taylor approved expat site full of guides and articles! I'm super excited for them to be talking about spring time! Minus the fact that it's been so cold here lately... Seriously, it was colder here than it was in Wisconsin! Regardless, Spring is going happen sooner or later, so let's talk about it!)

Spring has almost sprung; it’s time for festivals and celebrations

With spring literally being just around the corner many towns and villages are preparing to celebrate the end of the winter and the beginning of a hopefully hot spring. The UK is an extremely old nation and as such some of the traditions we are about to list have been held on a yearly basis for hundreds and hundreds of years, Some even date back all the way before the Norman invasions in 1066! Here are just a few of the most fun and well known.

Flora Day (Helston, Cornwall held on May 8^th) 

Every year on the 8^th of May (unless the 8^th is a Sunday) the town of Helston located on the Lizard peninsula of Cornwall welcomes huge crowds of visitors to watch the ancient Furry dance. The town is covered in bluebells as up to 1,000 dancers make their way through the colourfully decorated streets.

The day sees four dances with the most famous being the children’s dance and the adult’s mid-day dance. The men are decked out in top hats and tails. The women wear their best frocks. The band plays as the dancers weave their way through the offices and on up the main street. No one's quite sure anymore how it all began, but local legend says that it is a celebration of St Michael’s victory over the Devil. The town of Helston itself is named after the giant rock the Devil threw at the archangel in battle. Where the rock landed became Helston or ‘Hells stone’.

The Furry dance is believed to be one of the oldest British customs still being practised today possibly making it over a thousand years old! 

Cheese Rolling (Stilton, Cambridgeshire held on the first Monday in May)

The Stilton Cheese Rolling Festival is one of the year's highlights in the small Cambridgeshire town of Stilton. Participants compete in rolling large rounded blocks of wood along the high street for a prize of cheese and bottles of port. Many of the teams compete in fancy dress and although the sport has become better-behaved in recent years, you will still see a fair wince inducing tumbles and falls. It's a knockout competition with quarters, semis and a grand final, so you're in for a full day's entertainment.

Sweeps Festival (Rochester, Kent held on the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th of May)

The town of Rochester celebrates and commemorates the chimney sweeper. In the days of the industrial revolution men and boys would do the messy job of cleaning and unblocking the chimneys of the coal burning houses and factories.

The annual festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps as they celebrated the only day of the year they could take a day off. The modern festival is a mix of music, dancing and entertainment and sees up to 60 groups of Morris dancers and other entertainers celebrate throughout the three days of the festival.

Obby Oss (Padstow, Cornwall held on the 1^st of May)

The first day of May In the small town of Padstow is Obby Oss day. The origins of this ancient tradition are lost in the midst of time but it is thought to be some form of ancient fertility festival. the town is dressed with greenery, flowers and flags, with the focus being a maypole. The climax arrives when two groups of dancers progress through the town, one of each team wearing a stylised recreation of a 'horse.' The two 'osses are known as the "Old" and the "Blue Ribbon" 'osses.

All of the Padstow born folk traditionally dress in white with their family loyalties dictating whether they follow the Red Old Oss or the Blue Oss.

Cotswold Olimpick Games (Gloucestershire held at the end of May)

400 years ago in the Cotswolds lived Robert Dover, a man who was fascinated by the tales of the ancient Greek Olympic Games. His love of those games inspired him to begin the Cotswold Olimpicks, an event that has been held every year since. Events include wrestling, jumping, sack races, dancing and the infamous shin kicking contest (yes it really is as painful as that sounds!). Before the days of health and safety competitors from rival villages would meet with iron tipped boots or coal hammers acting as shin guards, back in the day many a leg was broken.  Thankfully today’s event is a lot less brutal. The games also see plenty of music and other activities.

This guest blog was provided by The Expat Hub, a top online stop for expatriate advice, support and information.

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Top Ten Tips For LDR

Have you ever heard the phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder"? That's just the nice way of saying ABSENCE SUCKS BUT YOU DEAL WITH IT. And now that Christmas and New Years are over, things are starting to get back to normal, which can make the feeling of being away from someone special that much harder.

But for the most part, absence is temporary. Temporary could be weeks or it could be years.

For me, it was years. More than 3 long years of making it work across two continents.

But I'm on the other side now!

Stonehenge 2009 (my first time in England) and again in 2012 (when I started calling England my home)

I've braved the loneliness, the airport goodbyes, and the night time tears. I have lots of practice with transatlantic relationships. It wasn't ideal, but it was worth it!

So I'm here to help you!

Here are my top 10 tips for couples in long distance relationships. This isn't a list from Google or from anyone else; this is first hand experience from my LDR with Alex (who you officially met yesterday). 

1. Dates from afar - Two words. Movie date. Pick the same movie and watch it at the same time at home! I wouldn't recommend actually speaking on the phone or Skype during it, but you can text or use AIM to talk about the movie. Schedule it like an actual date and commit! You can also go to the cinema to see the same movie at or around the same time, but in 2 different locations! Alex and I saw Harry Potter 7 Part 1 "together" on different continents!

And then we saw Harry Potter 7 Part 2 together in these really stylish 3D glasses!!

2. Send care packages - Send each other little things, like sweets, chocolates, or homemade gifts. It's especially great if they are things they can't get where they live. I always sent Alex peanut butter M&Ms in his care packages!

3. Send cards - If money is tight, send cards instead! Cards are so underrated these day, but I think they're really special! Always send a card for holidays. If your partner is in a different country, it's especially funny if they are cards for holidays that the other doesn't have! I sent Alex Thanksgiving cards every year and he sent me cards for St. George's Day! Sometimes we'd stick separate letters in the card, too, that way you don't have to worry about anyone seeing your mushy coupley romantic words to each other. (Moonpig.com is great way to send cards as well because you can add your own pictures and really personalize the card!)

4. Don't let it stop you from having fun - There's always going to be guilt or sadness in the back of your mind that you're having fun without your partner. You're always thinking "I wonder what they're doing" or "I hope they're not worrying about me" or "I wish they were here". But the distance gives you a great opportunity to spent quality time with your friends. As long as "fun" doesn't mean "crossing lines", it's worth it.

5. Have a plan - I'm not talking about a strict "we're getting married in exactly 4 years 2 months and 16 hours" type a plan. I mean realize what's keeping you apart, work towards being together (if that's the common goal), and discuss who is moving where in the long run. I always knew I'd be the one to go to England. It was because I waned to, not because anyone forced me to. But finishing my degree was the main priority. So I made that happen; I worked my ass off to graduate a semester early in order to move sooner. Once Alex landed a great job here and I graduated back in America, the plan was to just save money to go towards our future. When the timing was right, I would move. I think you know the end to that story!

6. Don't hang out with other couples - Some things just get you down. Being with couples was one of those things for me. I couldn't hate them, but honestly, I was jealous of their proximity to each other. And most of the time, they just weren't considerate of my situation and it made me feel worse. So just don't put yourself in that situation. If your friends/their partners ask you to hang out, just decline if you don't think you can handle it. Spend time with them on their own or risk the green eyed monster putting a downer on everyone's night. If they're really your true friends, they'll understand and won't want to put you in that situation. If they don't like it, well you have other friends who you can count on. 

7. Save money - Even if you know your not moving for a few months or few years, it's never a bad idea to have a savings account for your future together. Moves are hard and expensive. The earlier you start preparing, the easier it'll be when you take the big step. Saving money also helps you visit each other often! Plane tickets and luggage fees are ridiculously expensive. Save up! It's worth it just to spend more time together!

For me, saving money meant more trips to England!

8. Never leave a long distance fight unresolved - If you're as stubborn as I am, this can be hard (kidding.... kind of). It's so easy just to hang up on someone if you're frustrated. But just like you should never go to bed angry with each other, you should never hang up angry either. It's not worth it. Sometimes the time apart makes you so upset and vulnerable. Just think about how NOT WORTH IT the fight really is.

9. Have multiple ways to communicate - This obviously gets harder if you're in different countries, but it's worth having backup even if it's costs a little money. Have each others house and cell/mobile numbers, Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook, AIM, just have a bunch handy in case one fails. This is obviously in case of "worst case scenarios". But it's also useful to have backup in case of bad reception or other failed technology. Any time I texted Alex (if I was going to be out for a while or wouldn't have access to a computer) I also sent him a message on Facebook just to make sure he got it. You never want anyone to panic over something stupid like poor cell phone reception.

Last but certainly not least....

10. Have confidence in your relationship and beat the stereotype - People are so quick to discriminate again long distance relationships. (Seriously, I've had "friends" ask me why I never gave anyone local a chance or asked how I am able to feel so committed to someone so far away.) In all honesty, I've seen plenty of toxic relationships when the couple lived in the same city as each other. It's not the distance, it's the people. If you're one of the strong relationships (which I'm guessing you are if you've gotten this far), have the confidence that your relationship is worthy. Beat the stereotype that LDRs don't work out. Local relationships don't work out, too! People are always going to have their opinions and that's okay. But kick the negativity out of your life if it's taking a toll on you. Politely ask the people around you to keep their opinions to themselves if they don't support your LDR.

I promise, there's a happy end to the long and winding road that is the long distance relationship highway. And for me, it wasn't even a highway. It was a transatlantic flight!

It's not easy. But it's possible. Things will work out the way that they should. It just takes time, patience, and a lot a lot a lot of trust.

If it's meant to be, you'll find a way to make it work!

Are you/have you been in a LDR? What tips would you give someone? If you've never been in a LDR, do you believe they can work? Why or why not?

Fa La La La La La Florida

Before we get to the meaning behind my cheesy post title, I'd like to say a major thank you to Melissa at Smitten by Britain. She allowed me to do a guest post for today!

I've been thinking a lot recently about the differences between Christmas in Florida and Christmas in England. This year will be my fourth Christmas in England, so I decided to write about my 5 favorite things to do during Christmas here in England! 

So please make your way over here to read it!

I also had a good think about what I liked to do during Christmas in Florida. Instead of focusing on the cultural and weather differences between the two locations, I thought about what I liked to do the most. And while "going to the beach" and "sunbathing" didn't make the cut (but so should have!), I also wrote my 5 favorite things to do during Christmas in Florida!

1. Putting up the tree - In my family, buying the tree and decorating it is a pretty big tradition. We have to find the perfect tree. Decent height, no "bald patches" as my step-mom likes to call it, and a strong smell to fill the house! Then, we spend an entire night decorating, eating, and drinking while listening to Christmas music. My parents fight and threaten to divorce each other while trying to put up the lights while I laugh my ass off and just try to keep the cats in check. The ornaments have to go up in a specific order. It's serious business, but it's such great fun! 

I'm stuck! No, I'm kidding... Gotta love doing the grunt work!!

2. Pretending 50 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 degrees C) is cold - Oh, yes, Florida's "cold fronts" are kind of a joke. But any excuse to wear a scarf and boots, right?? It's fun to dress up like it's winter, even fully knowing that by next week we'll be back in shorts and t-shirts. My friends and I like to have small bonfires outside and make s'mores! 

3. Driving around and seeing the Christmas lights - When I was little, there was a water tower that had the best Christmas lights display! My mom and I would drive around (sometimes twice at my request) slowly and look at them while listening to Christmas music. Since then, the water tower no longer does their massive displays. But I love going around my neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods to look at the impressive lights. It feels magical!

4. Seeing old friends - Once I reached college, a lot of my friends and I went separate ways. Christmas vacation was always the best time to meet up again to reminisce, talk about our semesters, and of course do lots more eating and drinking. If the weather was nice, we'd have a pool party. Typical Florida December. My favorite thing to do, however, was go painting with my best friends. There's a local place where you can paint your own pre-made pottery. We'd spend hours upon hours there painting potential Christmas presents!

5. The local parade - One of the things I miss most about South Florida is our local parade. I was actually IN that parade for a majority of my life; first with my dance studio and then in high school with marching band. I never really got many chances to spectate it; however, when I did I thought it was absolutely amazing! It's no Macy's Day Parade, but it's still pretty good for a little beach town in Florida.

IT'S CHRISTTTTMASSSSS! I hope you said that like Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody" song.

As you can see, Christmas in Florida and England are completely different experiences! But they both have the same priorities in mind.... Eat.... Drink... And be merry! 

Where do you normally spend Christmas? What are your favorite things to do there that make it so special and unique?

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?

Remember Remember...

....the 5th of November!

Catchy little rhyme, isn't it?

(Not to be confused with Earth, Wind, and Fire's "Do you remember the 21st night of September")

Yesterday was Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Fireworks Night for this side of the pond.

Fireworks in our back garden

For me, I associate fireworks with July for obvious reasons. I think of hot weather, BBQs, and the smell of bug repellent being sprayed (which did nothing but delay the inevitable 87 bug bites).

But for the UK, they think Guy Fawkes Night, which means cold weather and lots of fireworks throughout the weekend.

Cold and no mosquitoes! Just the way I like it! 

I was pretty excited for my first Fireworks Night. Yes I know it has a history of being anti-Catholic, but I wasn't "celebrating" the night in that way. Just like I don't "celebrate" the 4th of July as our independence from the country I now call home. 

I like fireworks. Sue me. 

And sparklers. LOVE sparklers. I look like a wizard!

So being the incredibly open minded Expat that I am, I enjoyed Fireworks Night by setting off Fireworks in the back garden for the sake of liking fireworks. 

You will now have Katy Perry's song "Firework" stuck in your head. I'm sorry.

Houses all around us were also setting off fireworks of their own. We started with fountain type ones that aren't rockets, but then quickly wanted to set off these bad boys.....

They're called "Outrage" for a reason. We spent more time dodging the remnants of the explosion than we did actually admiring the fireworks. (I tried getting some pictures, but as I've explained before, my camera isn't the greatest. If you want pictures of you, or fish, or anything underwater, I'm your girl.) 

These were a lot less Outrageous, pun intended. Didn't have to dodge any raining debris from these!

I also learned about "the Guy". It took a good long while for me to understand what the Fiance was talking about with "the Guy". I was like, "who? What guy!? BE MORE SPECIFIC!" 

"The Guy" as in Guy Fawkes. Duh.

Apparently it's popular for kids for dress up a life sized scarecrow in old clothes and have it represent Guy Fawkes. They ask "penny for the Guy?" and they get pennies and other change to collect and spend on sparklers or sweets or whatever kids want these days. Then at the end of the night, they burn the Guy.

Like literally, burn their little scarecrow man aka Guy Fawkes.

I thought, "Well that's a bit violent!"

But hey, what are you gonna do?

I'll stick to my sparklers and pretending I'm a wizard.

Did you do anything for Fireworks Night?? Did you even know what Fireworks Night was?? (Because I didn't!) Have you ever celebrated a new holiday in a different country? 

Cheeky Bit Of Wedding Jealousy (And Can I Ask You a Favo(u)r??)

Hello all, I hope you had a lovely weekend!

This past Saturday, the Fiance and I went to a wedding celebration in Bristol.

It was my first ever British wedding! And to tell you the truth it got me very excited for my own British wedding.

Honestly, I haven't been to many weddings in my life, so this was the first one where I was old enough to 1) care, 2) realize what was going on, and 3) be jealous!

I saw the bride and groom mingling with everyone and being incredibly busy yet incredibly joyful all at the same time, and I thought I can't wait for that to be me. Selfish thought at another wedding, I know, but the realization that this is what life is, people who love each other get married and it's beautiful, was enough to bring a tear to my eye.

Also this weekend, Expatsblog.com launched the entries for their October 2012 contest. I think it's great to be a part of such a helpful and global community, and everyone a part of it deserves to have their story told.

If I could ask a favo(u)r (favor... favour.... oh expat problems) of you guys, I would love it if you could visit my entry and write a comment about you felt about it. It's my story of becoming an expat; every good, bad, confusing, terrifying, and exhausting part of my long distance relationship and my process of obtaining the visa that put me where I am today. Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to read it and for connecting with my journey.

Finally in England! (Don't judge me for my Primark bag please!)

Have a lovely Monday, and Happy Guy Fawkes Night (aka Fireworks Night) for my side of the pond! (Penny for the guy?? What guy, you ask?? Well I will let you know after I've experienced Fireworks Night for myself!)

What Am I Going To Do Without Thanksgiving?

I've confessed my not so secret indifference about Halloween.

But the one good thing about Halloween was that when it was over, it meant this:

STARBUCKS RED CUPS! This is me creeping a picture last year on November 1st. That's how much these red cups please me. Don't mind the terrible "I'm using an Android phone and I'm late for my sociology class" quality of this picture.

Starbucks red cups = Christmas. So in case you didn't get the memo, if you have received a red cup or have seen the red cups, it's Christmas. If not, go get yourself one. Hot bevs only, people, don't go crazy getting frappacinos; you'll be given an ordinary clear cup.

The time frame goes like this:

October = Pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin and a little bit of Halloween.
November before Thanksgiving = Also known as "Nearly Christmas", the start of Starbucks red cups, more pumpkin with a side of pumpkin. But now it's acceptable to drink Peppermint Mocha and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Thanksgiving = Parade, last acceptable day to eat pumpkin (so get as much in as you can!), fighting off the tryptophan effect, and if you're my family, a hefty buffet of Thanksgiving appropriate foods (we don't do the whole "sit down and be thankful thing").
After Thanksgiving = Christmas. I don't care what anyone says... Every single day after Thanksgiving is Christmas. It just is. 

So, now that I'm in England, my time frame is all messed up!

They don't celebrate Thanksgiving here! What am I going to do about my pumpkin and peppermint ingesting time frame? WHEN WILL I KNOW IT'S APPROPRIATELY CHRISTMAS?!

I asked some cool English peeps.... They all agreed that Christmas begins with the first viewing of the "Holidays are comin'" Coca Cola advert. If you are not familiar with it, go on YouTube and type that in. If you're not smiling and dancing while it's playing, you've clicked the wrong video.

I'm sad I can't properly celebrate Thanksgiving with the Parade and a day of binge eating, but at least I have the Coca Cola advert to look forward to!

Sidenote, the trees are putting on their autumn outfits.

Don't mind me, just running around a car park taking pictures of the trees. They don't change colors where I'm from!

Florida trees keep the same outfits year round, kind of like Florida people! No cold weather to deal with for us! Trees, can you change to green and red so that I know when it's Christmas here please? Just sprout some antlers while you're at it too.

Have a great weekend! 

Which is your favorite autumn/winter holiday to celebrate? Halloween? Thanksgiving? Christmas? Hanukkah? When do you start getting into the holiday spirit? Any expats know how to deal with the lack of Thanksgiving across the pond??

Halloween: Across The Pond Style

I'm going to say something.... And please don't judge me or think differently of me because of this... Because we are all entitled to our opinions....

I'm not a big fan of Halloween.

I know, I'm a rare breed. I'm sorry.

I think I liked it when I was little. Each year I dressed as a different Disney Princess and went trick or treating with friends. And then I went home, changed costumes, and went trick or treating again and got more candy.

(Sadly, all of my cute princess pictures are in America. I know you're devastated.)

And then you get older and it becomes socially less acceptable to trick or treat. You either get invited to cool Halloween parties or screw the norm and still go trick or treating and say "I DON'T CARE HOW OLD I AM! I WILL ALWAYS GO TRICK OR TREATING!" (me).

High school consisted of marching band Halloween parties since our last major competition/evaluation always fell around Halloween.

Yes, I said "marching band Halloween parties". No, that is not the next American Pie movie.

Sadly, this is the best picture of me as an awesome 80s workout girl. Because you know, I know soooo much about the 80s because I definitely lived it. (I was born in 1990...) I was such a cool senior (NOT). 

Still never got invited to those cool kid parties.

And then came college! Which did me no favors either...

I was the yellow Ninja Turtle.... There is no yellow Ninja Turtle. We were a group of 5 and I got shafted because I went "I love the color yellow!"

Sadly, this Halloween pictured above started the worst month of my life. I'm not even joking. That night I ended up in the ER with an allergic reaction to something I still don't know, then I got tonsillitis, then I got ANOTHER allergic reaction to the medicine they put me on for the tonsillitis. October 31st and all of November 2009 was spent in bed and on the Benadryl diet.

Multiple trips to the hospital, doctor, and allergist + my entire bank accounts worth of medical bills = I'm still alive.

Maybe that's when I started not liking Halloween.

The last two years I didn't celebrate at all. Or you could say I dressed up as a "studying college student whose evil professors scheduled multiple exams the day after Halloween" which was entirely true.

This year, I have made ZERO plans for Halloween. Again, I'm not a fan. But I think it's because of my genuinely lackluster Halloween's for the past few years.

I have decided though, if I do dress up tonight, I will dress up in true nerd form like her....

 Denim Vest . . Denim Shorts . . Long Sleeve Shirt . . Nerd Glasses . .  Belt

This is Kathy Beth Terry, from Katy Perry's music video for Last Friday Night.

It all started when the music video came out. My ever so charming Fiance said "Hey, that looks like you!" He just seems to think any brown haired nerd with glasses "looks like me". I also apparently look like that girl from The Big Bang Theory (no, not the hot blonde one) but that's another story.

So I've come to terms with my nerd status. Clearly you must know by now that I'm not your typical 20-something. While everyone is dressing up in animal ears or some slutty version of the Village People, I long to be Kathy Beth Terry.

The thing is, I'm not too sure how big Halloween is here in England....

Everyone I speak to says something different, like that it's not very big at all or it's more about witches and wizards and scary stuff and less about dressing up as anything and eating candy.

I don't know how I feel about that, because for the first time I kind of anticipated a good Halloween! I don't have any tests tomorrow (or ever.... I graduated....) and *fingers crossed* I don't get any allergic reactions later! I'm not planning on going to a marching band party (I wonder if those exist anywhere other than my high school), but I'll survive!

So what do 20-something adults do in England for Halloween?? Or rather, what does anyone do in England for Halloween??
What are you guys dressing up as? Any fun Halloween plans on either side of the pond??

Friday Fails and Friday Funnies Episode 2

TGIF seems to be the phrase of today!

(insert totally natural segway into the topic at hand)

I tried to do an Essex accent the other day. Apparently it sounds exactly the same (and exactly as terrible) as my regular English accent, my Northern English accent, my Posh English accent, and my little English kid accent (you know exactly which one I'm talking about... the little school kids in Tescos going "mumm-ayyy").

Hashtag Friday Fail.

I would like to brag that I have indeed mastered the Southampton drunken football English accent. With my superb imitations, I am quite the hoot at parties, by the way! 

On the topic of accents, I will leave you with a Friday Funny.

This is what America thinks of you, England.

 

Clearly this e-card writer means REAL British accents and not expatriate failed attempts at recreating one.

But I think I've hit that point where I don't notice British accents anymore (as compared to my first ever visit to England where everything sounded like a Harry Potter film).


Spontaneous change of topic to the American accent thanks to Selena via Twitter!  

As bad as I am at British accents, I think the Brits are equally as bad at the American accent!

The Fiance is 100% guilty of the nasally American accent. He also adds this noise that sounds like gurgling to his imitation of me......

I don't think I gurgle when I speak, but good effort, Mr. Fiance! I like your enthusiasm!

I've also found that many American imitations sound just a tad (read: REALLY REALLY) flamboyant, as well. You know, because I tote-ullllly have to emphasis weird parts of the word like to-MAYYY-toes and such.

Hashtag Friday Fail, again.

(Disclaimer: Just so we're clear, not meaning to offend anyone by imitating accents or imitating imitations of accents. No hate here, I promise. )

Have a great weekend! (Read that in whatever accent you desire. Posh English, hint of Italiano, Alien speak, don't care!)

Times When My New Home Frustrates Me

I love England!

Have I mentioned that enough lately?

I'm literally running around places shouting "I LOVE ENGLAND!" No, I kid. This is just a shameless plug of my first nice running photo EVER from this past Saturday.

I like being somewhat familiar with my surroundings, and I like calling this my home. Sometimes I slip up and I'll refer to Florida as "home", but it's probably because it's been home for over two decades. Old habits die hard.

But sometimes, not going to lie, I get frustrated here.

So here's my list of times when England frustrates me. (Don't worry, I'm a lighthearted blogger, so this is a lighthearted list. I promise.)

When I want to just call a friend from back home. Yeah, Whatsapp is pretty cool. It's the year 2012 and I like texting. But when I want to rant to my best friend about my wedding dress dilemma while I'm stood frazzled on the high street, I can't!

(While we're on the subject of wedding dresses....)

When I'm wedding dress shopping. I have my dress, and it wasn't too painful of a process. But I wish I had my friends there when I was trying stuff on to give me the A-Okay on whether it makes me look like a lovely bride or whatever I'm supposed to look like.

When I really miss Target.

Target is like my mother ship. Anything I needed back in America, I just went to Target. Socks? Go to Target. Toiletries? Go to Target. Clearance sunglasses? Go to Target. Cute stuff I don't need? Go to Target.

Do you see a trend forming?

If I need something here, my first reaction is "go to Targ-ahhhhhdamnit!!"

When I Skype my parents and they are making spicy chicken wings. I'm sorry, my step-mom makes the best chicken wings. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

When I want to speak to someone but can't because of the time difference. Sorry for waking you up at 6 AM, sister!

When I'm in a store specifically looking for something. Well if I had just gone to Target I'd know EXACTLY where it is located! Seriously, it takes me an hour just to find shampoo here.

When I'm forced to respond to HIYA, YOU ALRIGHT?!? Which is like, ten times a day at least. I just feel so unnatural responding to it the way other British people do. Because when I do reply with "Yeah, you alright?", they either don't respond at all or laugh because it sounds so strange coming from me.

When I get an e-mail that one of my favorite American stores is having a massive sale. This whole week I've been unsubscribing myself from all those store emails that just get deleted anyway. But sometimes I'll read one and just cry on the inside because my favorite scarf just got marked down to $5.99 and I wish it didn't cost an extra $90 to ship to me here! Screw you, sales! 

As you can see, expat problems really do exist. But then I just douse some chips in vinegar and eat my feelings, so it's okay!

This guy makes it better, too.

What are some things about your "new home" that frustrate you? What are some familiar things that you wish you had when you're not at home?

The Guide To Being An Expat... The Taylor Method

So you want to be an expat.

Great! We're always looking for more members for our expat support group! We meet Sunday evenings right after Strictly Come Dancing.

(I kid.... there's no support group... not that I've been invited to, anyways.)

Hello everyone. My name is Taylor and I've got a problem. I like standing on random patches of snow in English zoos and eat Marmite on toast for breakfast.

In order to be an expat in England, you must:
1. Learn the difference between a cookie and a biscuit.
2. Know ALL the rules of cricket.
3. Sing inaudible songs at a football game. (RAAAUHHHMAYYY roughly translates to "red army". Learn it and live it.)
4. Eat and enjoy pickled onion crisps.

I'm kidding again. Jeez, I can't take anything seriously, can I?

I guess what I should be saying is that there is no straight cut method to being an expat. I wish there was though; that would have made my process a lot easier.

I get asked all the time by hopeful expats: "How did you do it?!"

In short: I fell in love with a lovely man with an accent and moved the legal way.   

Simple algorithm to being an expat: work at a summer camp + date an English bloke = INSTANT EXPAT!

It took a lot of patience, a lot of money, and a lot of long distance relationshiping. So when I said "instant expat", I was kidding again. Sorry, that's the last time. I promise.

I am on the Fiance(e) Visa, which basically means we're engaged and are planning to get married. DUH. The catch is, we have to get married within 6 months of when my visa was approved. And I can't work until we are married. And we had to PROVE our relationship existed.

"What do you mean prove your relationship?!"

Besides the actual application (which I'll get to in a second), I had to send lots of fun stuff to the UK Embassy in New York which included: Skype records, Facebook records, my previous flight details to see him, his previous flight details to see me, details of us traveling together, letters from our family members saying they've met me/him, photos, photocopies of cards/letters to each other, my bank statements, his bank statements, my previous pay slips, his previous pay slips, picture of engagement ring with receipt (to prove we're actually engaged), information of our prospective wedding venue, his employment contract, his work history, my work history, copy of my birth certificate, copy of his birth certificate, copy of my drivers license, copy of my social security card, copy of my passport ID page, 2 recent passport pictures, and that's just what's off the top of my head.

Look, we exist! If this doesn't prove our relationship, I don't know what does! I'm willing to look like a fool in front of this guy. Let me in your country, please.

The application itself was just a time consuming and information prying fun sucker. By the time I had to print it out it was about 12 pages long (no exaggeration). It asks lots of information about you, your parents, and your "sponsor" (basically the person you are moving for. In my case, my sponsor is the Fiance).

Also, I had to drive to an immigration office and get my biometrics done before I could send off my visa package. That means that I just had to make an appointment to get lots of fingerprints taken. They used these fingerprints when I entered the UK to make sure it was me entering on the correct passport and visa. UK Border Control really means no funny business!

No really, please let me in your country! I have a date with Robbie Williams!

So the Taylor Method to being an expat is to fall in love, get engaged, and be fully willing to marry someone from another country. Easy enough! (Kind of.)

To be honest, that's the only way I know how to be an expat. Unfortunately, a lot of countries don't let you just move for the sake of moving. You need a substantial reason, like work or studying.

But there are lots of ways to do it! You just need to find out whats best for you. Try studying abroad or looking into different opportunities your citizenship provides for you (for example, commonwealth visas for the commonwealth countries). Although I can't give you a detail by detail description of every possible way to make the move to another country, there are lots of places around the internet that can!

Try looking at different expat websites for articles, forums, and other blogs that can help you out! The sidebar on the right hand side provides some Taylor approved expat websites, all of which have first-hand experiences from expats all over the world.

Good luck with all of your adventures no matter what side of the pond you're on! 

 

One happy expat!

Any hopeful expats out there? How are you preparing to make the move? Anyone already an expat? What advice do you have? Share your stories!