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?

My Daily Questions

Recently I've been meeting more and more people.

That sounds weird. But now that I'm out and about more because of work, Saturday park runs, and Monday night group runs, I'm interacting with more people who are intrigued by my desire to live in England.

And they tend to ask me the most ridiculous questions. But these ridiculous questions are pretty consistent across the board. These are questions I get asked about once a day at least. Which makes me wonder where these people's priorities are!

I don't know if any other expats get asked these ridiculous questions as well, so I thought I'd share both the questions (and answers, in case anyone was too shy to ask!)

Why are earth did you move here from Florida?!

And yes that mixture of question mark and exclamation point is completely necessary. I probably get asked this the most. It's a fair enough question. It's the passion that they put into it that is the most hilarious. It's like they're instead asking "are you out of your mind?"

And I really don't think I need to go into detail here on why I moved. It's pretty obvious now, isn't it?

It wasn't the weather.

So you went to a real American high school? / Is high school just like the movies/TV shows?

Yes I went to high school... In America... And it was in fact real...

I always say high school is definitely not like movies/TV shows. Maybe for some people 90210 and The OC portrayed their lives perfectly. However, I was in marching band and AP classes. So no, high school is not all about standing around at your locker for 7 hours of the day and wearing pink on Wednesdays. At least not for me anyway!

This is me in high school senior year. We wore marching band polo shirts on Friday. And no, don't quote American Pie at me please. 

What do you think of our food portions compared to America's? 

I never know how to seriously respond to this. I mean, I don't really notice a massive difference except when it comes to like specified or set sizes. (So like, a large drink at McDonald's in England is an American medium, a medium drink is an American small, etc.) But it's not like I'm walking around going "OMG I'm so hungry! If only British portions were bigger!!" Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I don't eat Cheesecake Factory sized food all day everyday. The only thing I miss about the food industry in general is FREE REFILLS. It's an epic concept.

I've also been asked....... 

Do Americans understand sarcasm? (No..... Not one bit.)
Have you met the Kardashians? (Oh gawd no.)
Does it snow in America? (Yes.)
Do you love Wal-mart? (Absolutely not.)

My shining moment in question asking was when a 9 year old asked if I was Hannah Montana because she never met anyone with an American accent before. No, I'm not Hannah Montana. But I was willing to sing Best of Both Worlds to her if she desired. (She didn't.) 

Anyone else get asked funny/random questions??

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??

Give Me Some Tips On Tips

Let's talk about tips.

Not tips as in "here's a tip, eat the new Snickers limited edition 'more nuts' chocolate bar because it tastes like love." (No but seriously, that's a real tip. You're welcome.)

Tips as in money.

I went and got my hair cut yesterday.... 

Awkward selfies! Don't mind my Donald Duck sweatshirt....

I didn't know if it was standard to tip the hairdresser. Or expected. Or customary.

I always noticed that people don't really tip in England. And if you did, it's because someone went above and beyond.

(From personal experience, we tip at nice restaurants here. But never so much as 18-20%. It was always usually a few pounds.)

But to be honest it always just felt wrong not leaving tips. Not because I genuinely feel strongly about it, but because of habit. I've grown up tipping. I've worked in a restaurant and "lived off of tips". It's just what I'm used to. I'm sure if I grew up here and went to America and was expected to tip at least 15% I'd feel outraged!

So I took my issue to Google.

This is what I noticed. (Nothing is directly quoted. This is the jist of the um-teen billion forums I read.)

Pro tipping:

"Why not show them that they did a good job?"

"Service industries should be tipped."

"They don't make enough money without tips."

Against tipping: 

"I work in a supermarket/office/store and I don't get tipped when I do a good job. And I don't expect to be."

"If they want more money, they should increase the price." 

"I'm already paying a ridiculous amount for _____. Why should I pay more?"

And then there was the dilemma of how much to tip (if at all). There was zero agreement on this.

For example, say you were getting a pricey hair cut/style/colour/etc.....

"If you can afford a £70 hair treatment, you can afford a £5 tip to the hairdresser..."

"If you're getting a £70 hair treatment, you don't need to tip because you already paid a lot for the service."

(At this point I wanted to throw my laptop and say "I quit!")

And a lot of people blamed America for putting it in worker's heads that tipping is the norm.

(Not my fault, I promise!)

The most common consensus was to tip about 10%, or round up to the nearest 5/10 pounds. But even that had counterarguments.

"Don't you feel giving them a measly £2 is a bit insulting?"

"Any amount is always appreciated! Even 50p!"

What is an expat to do?

So, what do you think? How do you feel about these differing opinions? Why is it the "norm" but "not the norm" at the same time?

Driving From The Passenger's Seat

I've tackled many challenges in my life. Some fun. Some annoying. All (mostly) worth while.

Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING could have prepared me for this:

Yes, the steering wheel (and, well, me) is on the right side of the car. You know, because that's how they make 'em in England.

And yes, as like most of the cars in England, this one is a manual. Which I have never driven before in my life.

2 challenges in 1? Why the hell not!

But it happened, and I'm here to tell you that it was kind of amazing.

Despite the Fiance saying that I did better than him and his brother on their first times driving (whoop whoop!), I had a few (read: 72983) oopsies along the way. But I'll spare you the novel and just tell you the important ones.

Oopsie #1: The clutch does a hell-of-a lot more than I thought it did. Surprise! I'm used to the car doing all the work, and now all of a sudden my left foot having to do something! I literally thought the clutch was just needed to change gears.... It's not. It's like you're doing a little dance with your feet.

Oopsie #2: Turning the wrong way when reversing. When you reverse in America, you turn your body to the right (to look over your right shoulder). That works really great when you are sat on the left side. Doesn't work so great when you are sat on the right side and find yourself staring at your seat belt and door. Yep, my brain went into car reversing mode and automatically turned right. WRONG.

Oopsie #3: "Driving like an American". There's no other way to describe it. Driving in a "new seat" gives you a completely new perspective. So most of my car depth perception is screwed. Apparently the car was always too left when I was driving and I had loads of extra space on the right side that I should have utilized.

I should also say that I didn't even make it on to a road. (Hence why I'm probably still alive...)

We stayed in an empty lot the entire time while I dealt with my 2 challenges in 1.

Next step is to perfect the whole "not stalling" thing and make my left foot not so lazy before hitting the streets of England. I'll let you know how things progress.

(By the way, I'm in the process of getting my provisional license in England, but I can drive here on my American license for one year. Make sure you check your country's driving laws before you embark on adventures in your car!) 

Has anyone ever tried driving in a country that drives on the opposite side as your own? How did it go? If you've never tried, would you consider it? Why or why not??

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!  

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?

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??

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?