Hi there! I've been in London every day this week while my kid takes part in a summer activity. I love having an excuse for a London day out, but this week is... hot. I feel like I've mentioned British heat waves a lot lately, but this summer has truly been one after another. This is by far the hottest year we've experienced since moving here. Usually, my outfits in London are on the more stylish end of my wardrobe and I had been keeping to that until today. Today I feel more American than I...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Hi there! Are the kids in your life heading back to school soon? All of my family and friends back in the US seem to be in the midst of buying school supplies and organizing after school activities. Meanwhile, I've got a solid month of summer holiday time left with my kid here in England. Back to school season itself feels pretty different here, so I thought I'd share a bit about why that is. School uniforms Yes, most schools in England love a uniform. This tends to be a lot more formal than...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Hi there! This week has been absolutely mad. Not only are we recently back from the US, but I had to find a new place to live in about a week. Let me explain. We've been planning a move to Brighton for quite a while. I adore being by the sea, it's still on a main line to London, and my daughter was offered a school spot at a school she's been dying to attend. So, back in May we started rental hunting and settled on a great little house in a lovely neighborhood. All was going to plan... until...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi there! I am just recently back from a few weeks visiting friends and family in the US. One of our stops was in Southern California, where my daughter has not been since we left for the UK nearly 5 years ago! While in California, I was catching up with a friend who told me she was jealous of my "quiet life" in England. We don't chat very regularly, so a lot of what she's seen of my life is through the blog or an Instagram highlight reel. It really stuck with me and made me reflect on the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi friend! I recently updated my article on how much it costs to move to the UK, checking current costs and adding some budget breakdowns. The biggest mistake I made in budgeting for our move was under-estimating the cost of recreating a normal home. We sold or donated most of our furniture and belongings before the move, so everything from forks and spoons to bedding and towels had to start over from scratch. If you're currently researching moving costs, here are the high-level breakdowns I...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friend! I'm spending a few weeks in the US this summer to visit family and friends back home. The trip is coming up soon, so I've been making a list of things I want to pick up while we are there. For the most part, I've found a lot of replacements for my favorite American things in the UK. (Hint: Goat Rodeo Goods even solved the complete lack of good dill pickles). The things I can't replace will be indulged in at every opportunity. My family still asks me what I want to eat when I visit...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, I've been thinking about confidence lately. When I told people I was leaving my career to move abroad, I either got the response of "you're so brave" or "I could never". A lot of people said "I wish I had your confidence". The funny thing is, I don't think confidence works the way most people think it does. I wasn't confident this move would work out. Things like how we would find a good place to live or how my kid would settle into an entirely new school system genuinely...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi there! I hope all is well in your part of the world. We are in juggle mode at the moment because a problem with the rental house we were supposed to move into today has made us push back moving for a month. Meanwhile, we're getting ready to head to the US for a family visit. I swear, everything I own is in a box or suitcase. 3 Things I Always Bring When I Travel Having everything packed in some way made me think about my travel items that I bring along no matter where I'm traveling. I made...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi there! I hope your summer is off to a great start! Things have been a little wild around here because we somehow decided to jam GCSE exams, moving to a new rental house, and heading to America for a family trip all into a very small window. My daughter is finishing GCSEs this year, which is a whole thing that deserves it's own detailed explainer. The TLDR version is: Imagine high school sophomores taking 20+ standardized essay-format tests over about a month. Now imagine those tests are...
3 months ago • 3 min read