The Re-entry series: Ugh! All the plastic bags!

Apologies in advance for the rant, but the plastic bag problem in the US really irritates me. When we left 10 years ago, I was seeing some glimmers of hope in the 'bring your own' bag campaign. In fact, I still have and use the cloth grocery bags I got as a promotion from Cub Foods in 2009! They've come with me to Bristol and I've used them consistently for about 6 years (they were in storage when we were in Abu Dhabi). They're in our shipment from the UK which should arrive in a couple of months and I'll probably be able to use them for another 5 years! 

So, you can appreciate my disappointment to see almost zero progress in the fight to get customers to bring their own bags. And I know it's possible. In the UK, the large majority is now in the habit of bringing their own bags when shopping - and not just for groceries, but for most anything. The UK instituted a 5p charge per bag which I'm sure has helped get people started. The fact is, once you get in the habit, you'll not want to go back to the flimsy paper or ever multiplying plastic bags. The cloth ones are easier to pack, hold more, easier to carry and permit you to feel superior, hahaha. Seriously though, give it a try. I can get a week's worth of groceries for two people in four cloth bags and carry them all into the house at once because they're so sturdy and the handles are long enough.

Rant over - thanks for listening.

The Re-entry series: Ah, frozen custard

The ice cream situation in England is appalling. There are these Mr. Whippy ice cream trucks that patrol the neighborhoods and park at every festival, family attraction and town squares that serve up soft serve ice milk kind of stuff. Okay if you're desperate, but a far cry from the decadent frozen custard of Wisconsin. 

Yes, there is gelato, but for a dairy farm girl like me, that's still not ice cream. It's good, don't misunderstand, but it's not ice cream. 

In the grocery stores, you can find Hagen Daz and a few other brands which also do in a pinch, but when I'm craving a nice turtle sundae, there are simply no options.

And so, our first stop on most trips home is to Culver's for some frozen custard. 

The Re-entry series: A Drive -Through on every corner

Yesterday we ran errands.

First, the drive thru at Starbucks . . . gotta start the day with some java.

Then Walgreen's drive thru to pick up some prescriptions for the parents.

Then pay at the pump gas station (I know, not technically a drive thru, but close)

A curbside pick up at Best Buy.

Finally, some lunch through Culver's drive thru.

I know some of it's due to the pandemic, but found it really funny that we could do all our errands from our car. And yes, there are drive thrus in England, but not nearly as many. I probably should have titled this entry "no need to walk anywhere" as that's the real difference we notice. In Bristol, we lived in the equivalent of a suburb, but could still walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, pet supply store, a few different pubs and our health clinic in 20 min or less. I'm going to miss that option.

The Re-entry series: Christmas traditions comparison

This post is a little unfair as, technically, we never spent Christmas in England as we always went home to visit, but I'll do it anyway 'cuz well . . . it's my blog and I get to do what I want. So, what will I miss from UK Christmas?

Number one is mince pies. And not because they're so outrageously delicious but more because they are EVERYWHERE starting just after Halloween. It's the number one sign the season has begun. And while I probably can find a mince pie somewhere in Seattle, in Bristol, they overflow from the supermarket shelves, every bakery and coffee shop and are offered at every holiday gathering (you know, those things we used to have at Christmas time). I remember my first work holiday gathering when I was working at the University of Bristol - we had champagne and mince pies around 2pm a few days before the Christmas break in the office. Yum!

And that would be the next thing - work Christmas lunches. In both jobs, we had a lavish Christmas pub lunch, complete with booze and secret Santa. Not sure there are many companies in the US that could get away with that these days.

Sticking with the food theme, cheese. Yes, there is lovely cheese all year round, but at Christmas time, the cheese makers pull out all the stops. All kinds of flavored cheeses, elaborate balls, spreads and plates. Apparently, a huge cheese course is a traditional part of Christmas dinner in England and it almost seems the cheese is more celebrated and looked forward to than the sweets. Sounds okay to me!

Christmas crackers are another novelty I'll miss - although I did have some leftover from last year so we'll be able to carry on the tradition tomorrow. These are the shiny toilet paper roll looking things you 'crack' open before Christmas dinner. Inside is a silly paper crown, some ridiculously cheap toy and a groan-worthy joke or trivia question. It's a silly tradition that seems so counter to the generally serious demeanor of the British, but it is 'jolly good fun'.

There are a few more (ugly Christmas jumper charity day, brass bands playing in the supermarket and carol services in all those gorgeous old cathedrals) but let me end with probably my favorite, which is that everyone says Happy Christmas (or Merry Christmas). No happy holidays or other attempts at political correctness that just seem to fall short of the intended meaning, just straight up Merry Christmas. Now, maybe this is because the Brits are 'less woke' I'm not sure, but it is nice not to have to overthink or worry about a greeting that is intended to spread joy and just be a nice thing to say. When we lived in UAE, everyone said Eid Mubarak whether you were a practicing Muslim or not. The statement was a happy greeting of well wishes, that's all and everyone seemed to understand that. I get that same feeling from a Happy Christmas in Britain.

And on that note, let me say Merry Christmas to all of you and thanks for reading!

The Re-entry Series: American appliances

We've joked for the last 10 years about our 'easy bake ovens' and the half size fridge & freezer. In Abu Dhabi we had a decent size fridge/freezer combo that had to sit in the 'maid's room' because it was too big for the kitchen. But the stove in AD was when we started using 'easy bake oven' to describe the size. In Bristol, the oven was a little bigger, but only because it had and upper and lower oven - still only the width of an easy bake and in fact, the cookie sheets and roasting pan I finally shipped over from the US didn't fit! The fridge/freezer was even worse. First, they were separate and both under the counter models so shorter and narrower - think of a dorm size fridge and double it. The fridge was on one side of the kitchen and the freezer on the other. And during a pandemic when we limited our grocery shopping trips to once a week, that was a challenge!

So, imagine our delight to find a 'normal' size fridge/freezer and oven in our new apartment in Kent, WA. The space! The room! The noise! (not sure why, but our fridge sounds like a freight train when it cycles) But now that we'll have to go back to refrigerating our eggs, I know I'll have room for them. And once my cookie sheets and roasting pan arrive, I'm sure they'll fit with room to spare! 

Side note: you may have noticed the egg reference and you read that right. In the UK (and many parts of the world) there is no need to refrigerate eggs. And, the common eggs are brown - you pay a premium for white eggs (or duck or blue or quail). It felt a bit strange at first, but being able to store your eggs in the pantry is actually really convenient and, for me, preferred. Apparently, it has something to do with how eggs are washed here in the states that removes a protective covering on the shells that then requires them to be refrigerated. So, back in the fridge they'll go - but at least now I have room for them.

The Re-entry series: So many electrical outlets!

One of my ongoing frustrations with living abroad was the fact that neither UAE nor UK allow electrical outlets to be installed in a bathroom. This has meant that I need to do my hair in a different room away from the sink and with some kind of make shift mirror (I know, first world problems).

So, one of my joys at coming back to the US are those lovely outlets in bathrooms! I can blow dry my hair, charge my electric toothbrush and Brian's can use his beard trimmer without leaving the bathroom! It's the little things people, it really is.

Now I was anticipating that joy, but what I've also come to notice and appreciate is that in general there are just a lot more outlets. When wanting plug in the laptop or the vacuum or my phone charger, I just need to lean over and there's an outlet near by. In our kitchen in Bristol, we had one of those multi plugs and still had to unplug the coffee maker to plug in the kettle. I'm not sure I'll even need a multi plug here.

hahaha Heaven! 

The Re-entry series: Flying internationally during a pandemic

A lot of folks have asked us how the flights and airports were so I thought I'd share a bit about our journey now that you know how Petra got on.

We were originally scheduled on a direct London-Seattle flight on Delta, but about 10 days before we were set to leave, Delta cancelled all their direct flights so we ended up getting routed through Amsterdam. A KLM flight from London to Amsterdam and then Delta from Amsterdam to Seattle. I suppose that's the first thing to prepare for - your flights and plans will most likely change. Our very comfortable noon departure time and a direct flight became a 6:30am departure and a layover in Amsterdam.

As we had such an early check in and 8 bags between us, we stayed the night in a hotel outside Heathrow. We got to the terminal around 4:30 expecting things to be pretty quiet, but soon saw things were hopping at the check in counters. There were two flights to Amsterdam on KLM within 10 minutes of each other so clearly we weren't the only ones being re-routed.

Check in and security as you would expect - just everyone in masks and hand sanitizer everywhere. Once through security, things looked quite different than normal. Only a few restaurants open and most of the shops were shut. Duty free was still alive and well, but most things were closed - whether that was the result of the pandemic or the early hour, I'm not sure. Seating was blocked off to encourage social distancing.

The flight to Amsterdam was surprising completely full so we were all packed in there as usual and had a good chuckle as the flight attendants announced we should observe social distancing of at least one and a half meters. Everyone wearing masks so that was something.

Schipol airport in Amsterdam felt pretty normal except for the masks and some blocked off seating. A lot of the shops and restaurants were open and there were quite a few travelers. It was, however, easy to keep your distance so we felt relatively safe.

The Delta flight was much better - they had the seating arranged so you could only sit next to folks you were traveling with so lots of space. We had to keep our masks on for the entire flight, except when eating or drinking. They served standard meals and snacks and you had to keep your masks on until the flight attendants finished serving your seats. And it certainly looked like everyone was following the rules, which was good.

Arrival in Seattle and immigration was about the same - just masks and social distancing and the lines were definitely much shorter than normal. Baggage was the same as well and the social distancing fell apart a bit as people crowded to get their bags.

So overall, a positive experience that felt relatively safe and organized. 

The Re-entry Series: Petra the Expat Cat

It's hard to know where to start with this series as a lot hits you all at once when you arrive in a new place. Add a global pandemic to the mix and it's an even bigger adventure! So, after some consideration, it makes sense to start with Petra, who probably had an adventure much greater than ours - if only we could have installed a kitty go pro camera to capture it all!

First, the basics. We decided to move back to the US from Bristol, England for a variety of reasons and combined this with Brian's 'retirement' from Epic. I have to put that in quotes as neither of us can really believe it's traditional retirement so suffice to say, he's currently unemployed and we'll leave it at that. We settled on the Seattle area as we've always wanted to live out here and determined a few years ago that after Abu Dhabi and England, Wisconsin would just be too cold for us. So, here we are getting our bearings.

And of course, where we go, our cats go. We lost our lovely Rogue in April so were arranging just for Petra this time around. Petra joined the family in Abu Dhabi so she's been through this once before. We both have, but that doesn't make it much easier - pet shipping is not for the faint of heart. 

The biggest challenge was getting a date secured. When we first started planning - this needs to start about 6 months out to ensure you have accommodated any vaccination protocols - the airlines weren't booking any animal flights more than 2 weeks in advance and with the pandemic rules changing so frequently in England, we couldn't nail down anything definite. In early October, we started to agree dates. We were flying Dec 12 so wanted Petra to fly Dec 13 which looked possible. British Airways was the only carrier flying pets out of the UK so we were completely at their mercy.

A quick side note about why we didn't fly together. Pets out of the UK must fly as cargo. We could have found some way to get to France where she could fly with us in the cabin, but if you own cats, and especially a vocal one (like Petra!) you quickly realize this is a really bad idea. In addition, we were flying Delta due to some perks of being frequent flyer members so we also used different airlines.

In early November, England went back into lockdown and as a result, BA limited their animal flights to once per week on Wednesdays. However, since the lockdown was scheduled to end on Dec 2, we thought we might still be able to make the Dec 13 plan. Then, there were some airport strikes at Heathrow to consider . . . Suffice to say, we didn't really know when she would fly until we received notice she was on the plane, but we planned for Wednesday Dec 16th and in the end, that's the date that worked.

Drop off was easy - our pet shipper (highly recommend using a pet shipper) picked her up in Bristol and drove her to the cattery in Windsor (yes, that Windsor - we joke that she probably had tea with the Queen and her corgis!) where she stayed until her flight. She was checked out by their vet who provided her 'fit to fly' certificate and then she was off.

This shipper builds a custom crate for each animal which is a really sturdy wooden box with heavy mesh on either end for air circulation and visibility. It has a really thick and comfy carpet-like mat inside which will also absorb any urine during the journey and has a water cup that can be refilled from the outside. Not bad accommodation - economy class for sure, but I'm guessing the in flight entertainment was pretty good.

We collected her at the SeaTac cargo office. Lots of paperwork, a collection fee and an anxious wait in the cargo warehouse imaging how scared she must be with all the movement and noise. And then she arrived on a forklift with 3 other pet carriers. 

We took her home and when we opened the crate, she came out confidently (cussing us the whole time) and immediately started to explore. After about an hour of ensuring she had sniffed and explored every inch of the one bedroom apartment, she had a little food and used the litter box. She seems to have adapted extremely well and was back to her sassy self in about a day. The only residual effect is that her internal clock is still on UK time so we're treated to pretty incessant meowing each morning around 3am. But I'll take it.

Introducing the Re-entry Series

We've just moved back to the United States after 10 years abroad and I'm finding a need to capture my reactions to coming 'home' and the realizations that 'home' isn't quite the same as we left it. So, the next few posts will be part of a re-entry series exploring the reverse culture shock of coming back to the US. Enjoy!

Sunday Road Trip: Warwick Castle

In late June, we cashed in some vouchers from our local grocery store loyalty program and ventured out to Warwick Castle for the day. About a 90 minute drive and some of the most gorgeous English countryside around.

A view of the castle as we arrived. It was a perfect day - bright sun, blue skies and not a drop of rain.

Inside the castle we found furnishings from the Victorian era.

And the rose garden had peacocks!

No trip to a castle would be complete without a jousting match - yes, real! A bit hokey as it dramatized the War of the Roses story, but some good horsemanship and real jousting that looked really painful.

They even had a working trebuchet. They launch it twice daily with a show of it's own.

But the best part was the scenery. Such a beautiful location and such a gorgeous day - the photos don't do it justice.

Sunday Road Trip: Salisbury

Our adventure this time was to Salisbury where we took a nice walking tour, visited the cathedral, had a spot of lunch and saw part of the WWI celebration.

Population of around 40,000, Salisbury, like many English cities is a mix of old and new. The building on the corner dates from the 1200s.

I love the mix of old style house with a new modern clothing store at ground level.

This started as a lord's house and is now the movie theatre with 5 screens tucked behind the frontage here.

This structure was used to provide shelter during the Sunday market - each type of food or trade gathered together. This are was for the dairy - milk, cheese, butter ...

This one is part of a large inn and now houses a shopping mall - kind of a shame, but they've worked hard to maintain the original architecture.

Our first view of the cathedral.

Inside the cathedral they're hosting an art installation of paper doves. There was a baptism in progress when we visited.

And outside, they had a large display of WWI items in celebration of the end of the war.

Back in the center of town, the parade was about to start. 

Sunday Road Trip: Blenheim Palace

It's summer in England which means it's time to continue the Sunday Road Trip! This adventure took us to a Food festival at Blenheim Palace. I didn't get any photos of the festival itself - just a bunch of food tents, but we then walked up to the palace and had a walk around the man made lake. A bit overcast for nice photos, but you'll get the idea.

The roses were just starting to bloom.

The gardens are huge at Blenheim and designed by a famous UK garden designer called Capability Brown. He built a huge man made lake, changed the whole topography of the place and plants lots and lots of trees. The palace shows a video of his design - just amazing what he did and mostly through hand labor. He started in 1763 and it took almost 10 years to complete.

A cute little duck family also enjoying the grounds.

This is a poor photo of the formal gardens just off the back of the palace.

And here's a photo of the front of the palace itself from a previous visit.

Tales from the Galapagos: Genovesa Island - Prince Phillip's Steps

Our last excursion of the cruise was to a different part of Genovesa (bird) Island - Prince Phillip's steps, which were built for a visit from Prince Phillip from England to the area. They weren't as 'royal' as you might think as you'll see in the photos below. Another bird extravaganza!

On the way, we saw some of the Galapagos penguins (we even got to snorkel with them that morning). Unfortunately, my camera was packed away in our backpack so I couldn't get a shot of them. They're much smaller than the Antarctica relatives and the only penguins to live in the Northern hemisphere.

Here's a good view of the steps. Clearly Prince Phillip was a lot younger when he visited!

This scruffy juvenile booby seems to be trying to communicate.
 

There were so many birds here you had to watch where you stepped! They certainly weren't going to move for us.

A nice pair of frigate birds and their nest. You can see the male sitting on the nest - the female will take her turn as well.

And finally a perfect shot of a red-footed booby where you can see their red feet and how they can perch on branches.

Our goal on this hike was to spot a short-eared owl - one of only 2 predators in the Galapagos. The lighting isn't great, but you get the idea. They look a lot like North American barn owls, which is where they migrated from.

The owls sit patiently waiting for little kestrel birds to land and then strike.
 

I think this might be a little mockingbird.

And this looks like a nesting place for one of the owls - lots of feathers and poop to mark the owl's territory. They are very territorial and will chase other owls away from their area as needed.
 

This photo gives you a sense of the terrain - every island so different.

Coming back down the 'steps'.

And that's my last Galapagos post. :( The next day we headed back to Quito and then back home. What a truly amazing trip!

Tales from the Galapagos: Genovesa Island - Darwin's Bay

This first stop on Genovesa Island was a walk along Darwin's Bay. A beautiful mangrove area with sooo many birds!

We saw this male frigate bird shortly after getting out of the panga and I snapped it to make sure I had at least one photo (we hadn't seen any males with the red pouch inflated yet). Little did I know that we were about to see so many more!

A lava gull pair and a sense of the terrain - very different than the other islands.

And, of course, a roly poly sea lion.

Here's a better photo of the male frigate bird. They inflate this red pouch to attract females during mating season. It can take them up to 20 minutes to inflate the pouch and then it stays inflated for days - we even saw a few flying with pouch inflated.

This gives you an idea of how many birds there were on this island. Clearly a favorite spot!

A yellow crowned night heron perched near a prickly pear cactus.

And the beautiful red-footed booby. The blue-footed get all the press because of their feet color but just look at the gorgeous bill and soft-looking downy feathers on these guys. I so wanted to reach out and feel that head to see if it was as soft as it looked.

The prickly pear are much taller here and of course a lot older too.

A Nasca booby pair discussing their nest.

Tucked up in the mangrove branches was this adorable little chick. We even got to see momma feeding it. They regurgitate food for the little ones.

A view of the bay and our pangas coming back from the ship to collect us.