"...travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world..." -- Gustave Flaubert

 

We've been here in England for about a month and, as in Vienna, we've gotten the apartment into workable condition for a guy who likes to cook and for two people who each need their space. This place is smaller than the one in Austria but thank God it's on the top floor so any noises are below us. There isn't nearly the storage space (no closets and kitchen cabinets are tiny) so the extra bed is organized into his stacks and her stacks and the one hanging rack needs about ten more hangers. We're getting there.

As the photo implies, the weather here can be dreary but so far it hasn't been cold. We're seeing about 60 during the day and upper 40s at night so we only have to deal with a chill wind from time to time. Part of our planning has been for heavy rain but so far we haven't had to bust out all the gear. I am sure it won't be long. The gauge already shows us using way more gas than electricity

The city of Liverpool is pretty easy to get around and we've already made a trip up to Glasgow. We'll be going to Edinburgh in a week or so and up to Blackpool and Formby to see some ancient footprints on the beach. The trip to London is planned for a few days in early December (tea at The Ritz!) and we're already talking about what we want to do for Christmas. We're picking up trinkets as we go to send home for the holidays. For us, it's enough to Just Be Here.

I am clearly a Yank to the locals and when they ask where I am from, I vary my answer. Saying "Texas" usually brings a level look or an 'Ah!" like "potential nutjob!" Saying I am from Florida (Disney!) or New Orleans (party!)  is another matter. I am still getting to know the local pubs but I have to say the food here is waaaaaay better than in Vienna. While the pub food with mashed peas and shit is pretty predictable, it is also very well presented and prepared. There are also more nicely done options for ethnic food. Today's lunch was Spanish food from Catalonia, while we have also dined twice at the nearby Italian place and it has been tremendous. There's a Turkish place that looks interesting a block over. We won't have a chance to get around to all of them while we're here -- quite different from Vienna, where we kinda ran the gamut in the first 30 days or so.

Liz Truss resigned as prime minister today after only six weeks on the job and I could almost hear the whole city laugh. For now the UK has no real functioning government except for the bureaucrats doing their jobs. The postal service will be engaging in periodic strikes and it's hard to tell what else might erupt between now and, oh, the expiration date of the double cream in the fridge.

Groceries! We have a lot more options for vegetables and the stores are a lot bigger, though a little farther away. We have to plan each trip so we don't weight ourselves down with too much crap to drag home. Wine, water and canned goods are heavy but we have a lot more options. We also have an actual freezer in the apartment, so I can make/buy stuff like meatballs or a cut-up chicken. And ice. Americans don't understand how much ice we use. But we actually get some in drinks at restaurants here and there is space to freeze our own at home.

One of the things that amazes us on the various expat sites we follow is how Americans assume they can just move someplace else if they don't like it in the US. No. You can't. Especially not here (maybe Canada is tougher) unless you have specific skills and/or a specific employer. You get six months (the EU and most other places give you 90 days) and you gotta go. And they will find and arrest you and put you on an outbound plane. We understood this going in and we're content with it, keeping a close eye on our upcoming elections. We have both voted in Tarrant County (hoping it actually counts) and November will tell us a lot about where we might be a year from now. Our general plan is to be back in the US visiting family but, frankly, it's expensive and in most places we'd need a car. It gets complicated in a hurry.

Anyway -- every day we realize how fortunate we are but also understand our choice to be Out Here restricts us in other ways. It comes down to a choice of how one chooses to spend their lives in a post-work world. Traveling? Being close to family? Being in that perfect house? Very few can really have it all and we have made our choices and there are downs to the ups.

But I'd rather have the stories and quiet smiles than woulda/coulda/shoulda.