Spring Break - British Style

Hey there!

My daughter is currently on her second week of term break from school. It's a bit like a second Christmas break in the spring, or maybe a longer spring break.

Before we moved to the UK, I had no idea how schools scheduled coursework across this year. It was one of the bigger culture shocks we experienced to shift from our American expectations into British schooling.

Now that we've been here a while, I still regularly have local parent friends ask us whether kids in the US get half-term. They may often believe that yellow school buses are fictional, but a life without half-term is near impossible for them to imagine.

If you're considering a move to the UK with kids, check out my guide to the difference in US vs. UK school holidays. In it, I break down some common misconceptions and lay out what I wish I'd known before moving as a parent.

Travel Tip: York is for bachelorettes?

We've spent a bit of this school break on a trip to wander around York. Since it is a term break and the weather has been gorgeous, the town was not hurting for visitors. It was still absolutely beautiful though and we loved wandering the Shambles and visiting the iconic York Minster.

What surprised me on this visit was how many hen do's (bachelorette parties) we saw kicking off Saturday night. York has a reputation as a beautiful old town. It wasn't a detriment to our visit, but it was a really strange contradiction to see the old town hosting several large groups of boisterous women.

If that isn't your scene, I'd recommend planning your York visit to avoid Friday and Saturday evenings. The rest of our time there was a lot more in line with the vision I already had of York as a historic and relaxing city.

Travel Find of the Week: The Poetry Pharmacy

Need a literary prescription? Located inside of Lush on Oxford Street in London is a unique haven you won't want to miss. The Poetry Pharmacy doles out bits of poetry inside pill capsules to cure what ails you. These aren't for swallowing, but are really cute and fun to open when you need a little pick me up.

We picked up a bottle of Comfort poetry and another filled with Shakesperean curses. They also sell books of poetry and journals for creating your own.

See you next week!

Victoria

​