New month, new flat.

Sorry that I have been MIA for the past week or so. I started a new job, a new commute...basically a new daily routine, so unless everyone is dying to know what my morning bus ride looks like, I haven't had too much to blog about. That changes now!

The month of May is ending much like it started, with a move into a new apartment. Only this time, we only had to move over a couple of miles rather than an entire ocean. There was a lot less stress and alcohol consumption this time around as well. The move was not without its adventures though. Getting all of our belongings from the last month over to the new place required a Zipcar...and a driver of said Zipcar.
Not it! *finger on nose*

I always imagined our first UK driving experience to be a relaxing tour of the English countryside via back roads and one lane highways. Maybe pass a few sheep. Maybe pet a few sheep. But nooooo....our first husband and wife road excursion was on a Friday, through central London, during rush hour...in the rain. Lovely!

I have to say, Mike handled it like a champ. I think that he was pretending to be on Top Gear the entire time.

Opposite hand shifting, opposite side of the car, opposite side of the road...no biggie.

Coming through with the poker face...like a champ.

Yet again, Otis was the most stressed out individual in the car.

We made it to our permanent home in one piece and were so unbelievably excited to see all of our things that had been shipped over from Chicago. Pots and pans! Sharp knives! My shoes! Michael was most excited about my shoes, obviously. It was the first time since I have been here that I really felt comfortable and settled. There is nothing like having the things that remind you of home. 

Shout out to C and S. Lego Sears.

Ok, we like Legos...so what?

We are all settling in nicely and are feeling extremely lucky to be in such a beautiful new flat. We have a spare bedroom and bathroom so yeah....stop reading this blog post and GET OVER HERE! 

Hastings hike.

My legs feel like Jello gigglers. They don't look like them, thankfully, but the epic amount of walking that took place this weekend makes it feel as though I am walking around in a bounce house. It was worth it though.

On Friday night we met up with some new people for a Big Ten alumni pub crawl around central London. It was organized by UofM grads so Michael had a lot to talk about with everyone. I managed to hold my own as a Spartan and not get punched in the face! Seriously though, it was a ton of fun and we met some fantastic new faces that we will hopefully be seeing again.

On Saturday, we woke up early and made our way to the London Bridge tube stop to go hiking in Hastings. There were about 30 other hikers that were along for the ride and we, again, met some incredible people from all over the world. The hike was a ten mile adventure that took us over cliffs and rolling hills, through lush forests, and even past some local wildlife. It was beautiful and I would gladly walk every step again.

Oh hey.

When we got back to the flat Otis was worried that we hadn't had enough exercise yet....

So he got to go for a three mile "hike" around the park.

I start my new job tomorrow and we are beat, so we are laying low for the evening...in a seated position.

Two down...

Before we came here...

and before we packed all of this...

Before we ate this bag of cheese...

 and dressed up like this (it was Halloween, people)...

Even before we got this little man...

Before all of that, we did this...

...and it was the best thing we ever did. 

Happy Anniversary, babe. I love you and I can't wait for what's next. 

Walk about.

May is a month of many celebrations for our family. Therefore, my first blog posts on here have been overflowing with shout-outs. So...get ready for some more!

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all of the lovely ladies out there! My Mom has been getting a lot of love on here recently and will continue to get more...love you, Ma. I also have a wonderful mother-in-law that I would like to say 'I love you' to today. She had a birthday recently, so Happy Birthday as well!

The second week in London left me feeling a little homesick at first. It's easy to feel scared in a new city that is thousands of miles away from your usual haunts. I kind of wanted to sit inside all day with my dog and watch old reruns of the Simpsons...which they have here...and they are still awesome. I realized however, that even though this all may freak me out a little bit, I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to live and work here. So, I put on my big girl pants and started exploring on foot.

We are really close to St. Paul's Cathedral. Tourist photos commence!

After St. Paul's, I wandered around our postcode a while and captured some images that stood out to me.

I sprinted down this street looking for all of them, but they didn't turn up. You all know who you are and I miss you dearly. Excited for visits from the old ones, and eager to meet the new ones.




Michael and I headed out to Camden Town yesterday to check out the Camden Town Brewery. We got there mid-afternoon only to find out that "Matt + Sara" had the place closed down for their wedding reception until five o'clock. Jerks. How dare they get married on the day we want to drink beer. Gah, I wish them the best.

The good thing about London is that if your first choice of a watering hole is unavailable, there is another one no more than 50 steps away....this applies virtually everywhere....seriously. We looked to our left and saw The Grafton down the street. We were ravenous and extremely excited to find out that their menu was courtesy of Lucky Chip. Mike had a cheeseburger and I had a chicken sandwich called "The Goldie Hawn"...a perfectly breaded piece of spicy fried chicken topped with an overloaded slurry of bbq sauce, cheese, lettuce and mayo. I know, it doesn't sound that original, but it was the best chicken sandwich I have ever had, hands down. Sorry, I forgot to take any food porn of our meals, so you will have to use your imagination.

We finally headed to the brewery after the newlyweds departed and each had a flight of beers.

Michael's favorite was the Gentleman's Wit. I preferred the Pale Ale and the Ink.

The Ink.

The cheese.

After our fair share of adult beverages, we headed home to hang out with our pup. It didn't take Michael long to settle in for the night with his favorite furry man. 

It was a good second week in. Ready for number three.

I again wish everyone a very happy Mother's Day. If you are lucky enough to be close and see her today, give her extra hugs and love. There is nothing like a Mom.