We have been here in London about a month now, and are pretty well settled in. We all love London. It is much different than Naperville, but really fantastic.
Since we picked living in the city, we are able to get around anywhere on the Tube. Yesterday we checked out a new playground down in Russel Square, and Paul was able to meet us there for dinner. The kids love Yo Sushi :).
It is different not having a car, but so far doable. We use a grocery delivery service for big shops, and then go to the local stores (we have a Tesco, Budgens, and M&S all close by) for last minute items. I don't miss driving, and really wouldn't want to drive around here. Tom seems to miss the car though - he points at all the black mini-vans (Addison-Lee car service) and yells, "Mommy's car!"
Paul's commute is dramatically shorter, and it is nice for the kids to actually see him both in the morning and after work. We actually can have a cup of coffee and dinner together!
The transition has been easy as this is an English speaking country. It would be WAY harder if we needed to speak a local language. There are some different terms and phrases, but easy to figure out.
Hampstead (NW3) is a very green, leafy area. So although we don't have much of a backyard ourselves, there are lots of trees and enough green spaces nearby. The Heath is really fantastic. It is fun to explore new areas with the kids.
This has been a very special time in London because of the Olympics. Everything is clean and everyone is on their best behavior. Hopefully the city will continue the Olympic spirit.
We walk a lot every day. Anything close by is at least 1/2 mile, and the distances go up if we are on a train. Will has gotten better at walking, but we do use the stroller often. Tom is usually in the Ergo if we are going on the train, but I try to let him walk too.
We haven't met any friends yet, but I am sure that will change with school, CCD, and activities starting in September. The Americans are easy to single out due to the accent :).
I am going to try to do more blogging as journaling, so beware.
Since we picked living in the city, we are able to get around anywhere on the Tube. Yesterday we checked out a new playground down in Russel Square, and Paul was able to meet us there for dinner. The kids love Yo Sushi :).
It is different not having a car, but so far doable. We use a grocery delivery service for big shops, and then go to the local stores (we have a Tesco, Budgens, and M&S all close by) for last minute items. I don't miss driving, and really wouldn't want to drive around here. Tom seems to miss the car though - he points at all the black mini-vans (Addison-Lee car service) and yells, "Mommy's car!"
Paul's commute is dramatically shorter, and it is nice for the kids to actually see him both in the morning and after work. We actually can have a cup of coffee and dinner together!
The transition has been easy as this is an English speaking country. It would be WAY harder if we needed to speak a local language. There are some different terms and phrases, but easy to figure out.
Hampstead (NW3) is a very green, leafy area. So although we don't have much of a backyard ourselves, there are lots of trees and enough green spaces nearby. The Heath is really fantastic. It is fun to explore new areas with the kids.
This has been a very special time in London because of the Olympics. Everything is clean and everyone is on their best behavior. Hopefully the city will continue the Olympic spirit.
We walk a lot every day. Anything close by is at least 1/2 mile, and the distances go up if we are on a train. Will has gotten better at walking, but we do use the stroller often. Tom is usually in the Ergo if we are going on the train, but I try to let him walk too.
We haven't met any friends yet, but I am sure that will change with school, CCD, and activities starting in September. The Americans are easy to single out due to the accent :).
I am going to try to do more blogging as journaling, so beware.
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