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?

Cross The T's And Dot The I's

Well this is something fun and original! I saw this link up on Betsy Transatlantically and thought why not? Something different from my usual sheep in the road rants and Americanisms.

 

In case you didn't already know, I'm.....

(Fun fact: I will never ever write my name with a capital t, unless it's something really formal or important, or if I'm doing my signature, which makes zero sense, I know.)

I'm a pretty big fan of handwriting. I like to analyze other people's when they write and see if it fits their "personality".

When we were learning penmanship in elementary school and "handwriting" was actually a grade, I was always pretty average. And then one day in the fourth grade I got an A in handwriting and I was hooked. I thought, "Wow, I must have really great handwriting!"

News flash, kid, you didn't.

Now looking back, my handwriting was absolute crap. But it did set me up to be kind of a perfectionist when it came to note taking and the like. I'm not a big "doodler" and I hate when I have to cross things out. But I hate writing in pencil even more.

Also in case you forgot where you ended up on the internet (I know, I end up in weird places too), my blog is called.....

....which explains my previous location and my new location! 

(I thought about adding running shoes to this photo but clearly I like running. What you might not know is that I'm obsessed with owls. I got an owl stuffed animal when I was 11 and accidentally started an owl collection!)

My favorite quote is....

"If you can't laugh at yourself life's gonna seem a whole lot longer than you like." 

from the movie Garden State

(More Fun Facts: I don't dot my i's and haven't since high school. I love Sharpie Pens and carry them around with me always. The notebook pictured above is my everything notebook that also gets carried around with me.)

If you'd like to take part in this fun link up, click on the button at the top! And include these in your blog post:
- your name and signature
- your blogs name
- your location
- your favorite quote or song lyric

(See, I told you my signature had a capital T in it!)

Let me know if you do this link up! I'd love to see if your handwriting "fits your personality!" 

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??