Ready for Autumn in the UK? What to Pack + What Not to Miss After a busy summer, I’m ready for a little more routine and some cozy time. My daughter and I recently came back from a week in central London while she took a pretty intense summer course. We stayed at Locke at Broken Wharf, right on the river near St. Paul’s. Seriously, I was looking out our window at the Millennium Bridge every day. It’s a mix of hotel and apartment, with a great café downstairs and just enough space for two. The...

UK Hot Hits Different Look, I grew up outside Houston, Texas. I know what crazy heat feels like. So why do people in the UK always show up on my social media complaining when the temperature hits 80F? There's several reasons for this, like buildings made to absorb heat and the city glass/concrete combo bouncing heat around. But I think there's one reason that overrides all that: no air conditioning. Temperatures that would have felt fairly normal back in Texas or California are inescapable...

Summer in America vs. the UK I was lucky to have a good friend come visit me last week. Her kids have just wrapped up the school year in California and are starting in on summer activities. My nieces and nephews in Florida and Texas have been out of school for a few weeks. Meanwhile, my daughter still has over a month left in the school year. It's strange every year to see signs of US holidays while school is still on here. The differences between school calendars in the US and UK were so...