Exploring London

     The past couple of days have been quite busy. The day Jeff and I flew in, we were able to get 2 flat viewings arranged. Today, we were able to view 5 flats. There is a favorite among them, and I can already see us living there. I know this is something I shouldn't do, but it's so hard not to. One major plus that we had yet to find was a pet friendly flat. We are wanting to bring Monk over with us, at some point, and a lot of landlords in London aren't too big on tenants with pets. The current tenant, in the flat that we love, has a cat, so we are hoping the landlord won't mind a small dog. I could go on and on about this flat, but since we have yet to make an offer (hopefully will tomorrow morning), there is really no point in me gabbing about something that isn't mine yet.

     The majority of the flats we have viewed are converted Victorian houses that have either 3 or 4 floors, with each floor being it's own flat.

Look something like this.

 

 

 

     Hopefully, tomorrow or the day after, I will be blogging with some good news about us getting a flat. If not the one I'm in love with now, any other flat that fits our list of musts will be good. Until then, cheers!

Pulling, Pulling, Pulling An All Nighter

     Not only have I been awake since 4:45 a.m. yesterday (Thursday), I've also had the song Pulling An All Nighter, made "popular" by the Olsen twins in their video You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's Sleepover Party (circa 1990s), stuck in my head. Bec and I rented and watched that video so many times that the catchy tune should forever be quite easy to remember!

     This whole plan of Jeff and myself staying up all night, prior to our travel day to London, was suppose to make us so tired, we would sleep most of the 10-hour flight. In other words, prevent jet lag. Well, it is now 7:40 a.m. on Friday, and I am quite exhausted already. I tried to fill in my night of no sleep with some fun activities, which even though helped, have not kept me completely awake.

     First off, Breaking Dawn - Part 1 opened today at many theaters around midnight. Having read and enjoyed all of the books and attended the two previous Twilight movies with my good friend Sarah Montgomery - yes, you read correctly - it was a must that we purchased our tickets a few days in advance and arrived to the movie theater a couple of hours before the show started. The time we were able to spend together was great! I really enjoyed just sitting there and getting to talk with her. We don't get to do that often enough, and with the move coming quickly, our times are numbered. Thank goodness for Facebook, phones and blogs!

Sarah Montgomery x 2

     After the movie let out, I dropped Sarah off at her apartment, then called and woke Jeff up (he broke our arrangement of no sleeping), so we could head to Whataburger for a super early snack. We stayed there for over an hour just talking about the exciting days ahead and laughing at each others delirious state.

None of these in London. It will be missed.

Jeff (looking quite cute, if I may say so!)

Potato Taquito - the best.

     After Whataburger, we ventured over to a very empty Walmart around 4:30 a.m., where we spent 30 minutes getting only a few items. Jeff even danced or attempted to dance... for those who know him this says a lot, as he is fairly uptight and not a dancer at all. Wish I would have recorded the quick routine, but it is one routine that I will never forget. Our last item to pick up was some of this...

which, I cannot wait to use!

      It is now 8:15 a.m., and I've yet to pack. Better get going! Will update and have plenty of photos once we get back from this first trip to London. We are praying to find a flat (apartment for us Americans), while we are there. Hoping our next post will bring good news!

Giving Thanks

     I recently told my boss about the move to London. Naturally, I tend to expect the worst outcome, so I prayed for a calm spirit. God was faithful, and my boss reacted quite well. Surprisingly, she was very excited for Jeff and me. She and her husband have visited London a few times, so I got to hear a lot about her adventures there. The next day I came into work, she gave me 3 different maps of London.

Bonus - they are laminated, so rain won't ruin them!

     Even though it's been for a short while, I was blessed to be placed with such a great Cardiac Rehab team. Each member was willing to help me if I ever needed it. Everyone was always caring and friendly. I am so thankful for the time I've had with them.

MCL's Cardiac Rehab crew.

     I will continue to work at MCL until mid-December. Until then, I'm going to enjoy my time left, and start looking for a job in London.

Mind The Gap

     So yes, it has been awhile since I've written a post. And yes, I remember what I said here. Even though I didn't keep my end of the bargain, I figured it was still OK for me to give this another whirl. However, this time I make no promises on how long the gaps may be between my posts! ;) Considering Jeff and I have some big news that is not only life changing but approaching quickly, I should have some good stuff to keep me posting for many, many weeks to come. :)
  
     Mind The Gap... I am sure you are wondering why this is the title of my post. Well, family and friends (for those who don't already know) Jeff received a transfer through his job and we are moving to London this January. Yes, London, England. And yes, in two months, we will be there. Mind you, even though I keep telling myself this is happening and that this is real life, I don't think I've fully processed that I will be leaving the states, and more importantly, my family and friends. I am in the "very excited" stage right now, but I know at some point, I will experience culture shock and completely realize that my family will no longer be less than 2 hours away from me.

     In spite of all the change, Jeff and I are really excited to see what God has for us over in London. We are super thankful that we already have a set of friends who: (1) have been living in London for a little over 3 years now, (2) when they lived in the Dallas area, were members of our church The Village, and (3) have been providing us with great information on moving overseas. We are extremely thankful for M and A!!! A is an avid blogger, and recently, she gave us some good advice about the buggies in London grocery stores, which you can read about here.

     Back to Mind The Gap. Apparently, a lot of transportation in London is public and done via the tube (train for us Americans). This phrase and sign "Mind The Gap" serves as a polite warning to the passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the tube door and the station platform. Pumpkin Carving Day 2011, which happened to be yesterday (Halloween), was when I was introduced to this now well-known saying. Each year, Jeff and I carve each other a pumpkin. Most years, we have a theme or we will choose something we know the other really likes. This year's theme was, of course, about London. Since we will have no vehicles while we are in London and will be riding the tube to get anywhere, Jeff decided to carve "Mind The Gap" on my pumpkin. I carved Igor (read Eye-gore) and Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (read Fronkensteen) from Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. I chose to carve this simply because Jeff really likes this movie and Marty Feldman (i.e. Igor) was an Englishman. I will say Jeff's idea and carving is way better than mine.

Here is what Jeff's creation looks like.

                                          

And, here's mine.

                                                      

     For right now, we are soaking up all of Texas, our family and friends as we can. The next couple of months are going to fly by. As for those wondering the question of how long we will be in London, all I can say is at least 18 months. After that, we'll see. :)