I'm back!

Gosh, I can't believe it's been this long since I last blogged. In the New Year, I resolve to be better about writing as this is what I love to do.

So where to start as I resurrect my blog.....

To sum it up, the last 5 months have been filled with more traveling, building friendships and becoming more settled in London. It took a few trips back to the States and several wonderful experiences to make me realize that I really love living in London. Life in the US suddenly seems ordinary compared to living in a foreign land. Until my curiosity wanes, I will remain in Europe. I've realized that I can come home quite often and the 8 to 9 hour flight really doesn't bother me. When I visit home, I get my fix of shopping, family and friends, and food...enough to get me through my next visit.

I am taking steps to become more settled here. I currently have a company sponsored visa. In January...(if I ever stop traveling long enough), I am going to switch my visa to one that will allow me to remain in the UK without working for my company. This gives me a bit more flexibility. I can even start my own business or do contracting work under this new type of visa.

I am working to build my credit history here. It's really, really hard to get a credit card which is a good thing. In the US, they give credit cards away like free candy....Not here. You have to have lived in one residence for at least a year. You are also unfairly judged if the previous resident had credit issues...and is nowhere to be found. Your acceptance is sometimes based on geography....Anyway, I finally got my first credit card through my bank. Lovely!

I've started investing in household items for my flat and have been thinking about shipping my personal belongs from the US. I recently bought a whisk, roasting pan, a soup pan, serving dishes, and a Pyrex casserole dish. It sounds funny but my mom's friend Betty refers to it as nesting...I think I'll wait another year to determine if I want to ship my other things. Since I'm renting, I don't want to lug this stuff from flat to flat.

Most importantly, my family and friends have been very supportive. For their own unique purposes, they would love for me to come back home. The reality is that we probably wouldn't see each other more or less. They understand that I am very happy here and we continue to make the distance work.