Yes, we were super excited for our trip to London. The flight to NY was easy, I sat next to a missionary couple headed to Belgium. Sister Anderson and I chit chatted and munched Oreo balls for the very long flight to JFK. The flight from NY to London was hard. You fly to London over night and arrive in London at 7:00 in the morning, which is 12:00 a.m. Utah time. Thus began our adventure, 0 hrs. of sleep :)I was handed this thing, labeled "Refresh Yourself." Seriously? Someone obviously has no idea what refreshed feels like. Try handing out 2 liters of Diet Pepsi, then I will feel refreshed.
This is the town we are looking to find a place to let, Orpington is in the county of Kent. Super pretty, but not a lot of availability. you pay about 1,200 British pds. a month for about 1,200 square feet. This is like paying $2,000.00 a month for 1,200 square feet.... EXPENSIVE. The LDS church is strange looking, but right next to the Orpington station.
After 0hrs. of sleep and a mix up at the hotel we headed off for lunch with John's work group. John's work is a stones throw away from Victoria Station and shares a space with Google. We walked from the station to his work and then walked to lunch with his new boss David, and co-workers Adam (from the UK) and Vanessa (from France). They took us to a Thai restaurant. After a couple of flights, 0 sleep, and the unique spices used in Thai food, I was sick. Therefore, I made John take me to TGI Fridays in Piccadilly Circus for dinner.
We didn't have time to tour Buckingham Palace, but we enjoyed the beautiful plaza and park.
I loved the Victorian Monument
Westminster Abbey was probably the highlight of my trip. The Abbey is rich with History, culture, and religion, three things that I love. This building is ancient, historic, and beautiful, plus you get all of the strange dish on the historic persons buried there. Like Charles Darwin? Why would he be buried in a church? He is the father of evolution. Whatever right?
I will admit that I was a little disappointed that you can't get very close to "Big Ben." It is still a very beautiful landmark.
For my fellow Jane Austen lovers we went to Brighton. We were actually thinking about living here, but it was way too busy for me. We met a fellow that told us Brighton is where all of the "yummy mummies live and push the prams around." Super big and very developed, much like Huntington Beach. It was super chilly on the coast, but very pretty. The beaches are very rocky and have a lot of small shells.
Trafalgar Square and more architecture
Loads of architecture in London, as well as ornate buildings......like our hotel, The Grovsner.
People aren't lying when they talk about the bizarre British cuisine. Our dinner consisted of Fillet, chips, onion rings, mushrooms, tomato, and something they call salad. Weird, but a very fun atmosphere in the pub. I actually think that the Pub is the only place where people in London actually let loose and enjoy themselves. This particular pub was called "The Albert." Prince Albert and Queen Victoria are very popular in the UK, you see Albert and Victoria everything in London. The napkin was Queen Victoria's. Albert and Victoria are the source of one of my favorite love stories. 
It is no secret that I am a Dorito lover. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the different names of the Dorito's. Not to mention the fact that their big bags were much smaller than our big bags and slightly larger than the Big Grab you get in the gas station. I was also surprised to see that the liters of soda are taller and thinner than they are in the states.
My favorite place in London was "Covent Gardens." I loved this area because it reminds me of Rome, a big open Piazza with shops and restaurants. I love everything about Italy from the warmth of the people to the food. I was beyond happy when we stumbled across an awesome Italian place that served Gnocchi just like I had it last in Italy. Hooray, it has only been 12yrs. since I have had Gnocchi that good.
The trip to London was interesting. We saw a lot of really great things and had a fun time trying to find our way around. However, I wasn't there to sight see, but to find a place to live. London is like NYC, huge, busy, and cigarette smoke is everywhere. Fresh air doesn't exist. I felt super overwhelmed by the idea of trying to get around with 2 kids and losing 1 of them in the underground. Now that I have had a week or two to digest the experience I am feeling better. This move will do one of 2 things, it will kill us or it will make us stronger. I really believe that there isn't any grey area, it is black or white. I feel like I am about to discover what I am made of, something that I could not discover staying in my comfortable life. My greatest fear is that I am going to be in a culture that is much more aloof and solitary thousands of miles from friends and family. The best day was when John's boss to be had his wife Lisha drive us through some towns around Orpington. I felt very anxious about finding the area where we want to put down some roots. I could not wait to get back home. I missed my kids and the realization of what was happening was too much. The flight home felt eternal! My self portrait pretty much expresses how I felt.
That being said, I will survive. I keep telling myself that I am a tough chick, not sure if that is true, but I am telling myself that. I am sure that it will end up being a good experience, and if not a good one, it will certainly be an experience. If you have any desire to toss me into one of your prayers, it would be much appreciated :) Cheerio.
It is no secret that I am a Dorito lover. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the different names of the Dorito's. Not to mention the fact that their big bags were much smaller than our big bags and slightly larger than the Big Grab you get in the gas station. I was also surprised to see that the liters of soda are taller and thinner than they are in the states.
My favorite place in London was "Covent Gardens." I loved this area because it reminds me of Rome, a big open Piazza with shops and restaurants. I love everything about Italy from the warmth of the people to the food. I was beyond happy when we stumbled across an awesome Italian place that served Gnocchi just like I had it last in Italy. Hooray, it has only been 12yrs. since I have had Gnocchi that good.
The trip to London was interesting. We saw a lot of really great things and had a fun time trying to find our way around. However, I wasn't there to sight see, but to find a place to live. London is like NYC, huge, busy, and cigarette smoke is everywhere. Fresh air doesn't exist. I felt super overwhelmed by the idea of trying to get around with 2 kids and losing 1 of them in the underground. Now that I have had a week or two to digest the experience I am feeling better. This move will do one of 2 things, it will kill us or it will make us stronger. I really believe that there isn't any grey area, it is black or white. I feel like I am about to discover what I am made of, something that I could not discover staying in my comfortable life. My greatest fear is that I am going to be in a culture that is much more aloof and solitary thousands of miles from friends and family. The best day was when John's boss to be had his wife Lisha drive us through some towns around Orpington. I felt very anxious about finding the area where we want to put down some roots. I could not wait to get back home. I missed my kids and the realization of what was happening was too much. The flight home felt eternal! My self portrait pretty much expresses how I felt.
That being said, I will survive. I keep telling myself that I am a tough chick, not sure if that is true, but I am telling myself that. I am sure that it will end up being a good experience, and if not a good one, it will certainly be an experience. If you have any desire to toss me into one of your prayers, it would be much appreciated :) Cheerio.
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