The upcoming visit

Well my mom and sister will be here in less than a week...it has been about 8 months since I have seen them..that is the longest time ever..and I can't wait to give my mom a big hug..and just to spend some time with my mom and sister..my sister is one of my best friends and we always have a good time when we are together...We are meeting them in London and then they are coming here to Brixham..and I can't wait to show them around where I live and our house...and then we are going to Ireland..I am so excited..I have always wanted to go to Ireland..2 weeks with my mom and sister and husband..who could ask for anything better...and then I will only have to wait till August to see my family..and I can't wait..

We are looking to go on the duck tour, the bus tour, and madame toussades, and we are going to Harrod's...we are going to do all the touristy stuff....I will keep you all updated

The Constant Questions

Since I have started coming to the UK I have been inundated with questions by people of where I am from? why I am here? how do I like it here? is it a lot different over here then there? why would you move here and not stay in the states? why did you marry a british man? how are you finding our culture? and many, many more questions. Sometimes I feel like printing out a FAQ sheet and putting at the bottom of it if the question you want to ask isn't here then let me know lol...The funny thing is that these questions have become more frequent with every person I meet now that I am living here..and I am sure it is always going to be like this. I don't mind it because people are generally curious..but sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. Like over Christmas I worked in a grocery store and worked 8 hour shifts and had people asking me the same questions over and over...by the time I was done my shift I was exhausted. And the funny thing is that now when I go home to visit I get the same questions but in reverse from people I haven't seen in awhile..so my life has become and will remain a series of questions...

here is a sample of the FAQ sheet I was going to type up:

Where are you From? Pennsylvania, It is outside of Philadelphia. (If they don't know where this is I tell them) it is where Rocky Balboa is from (and if they don't get that I say) We are 2 states away from New York City (the reply is usually always I have been to NYC or Florida or the West Coast...never anywhere else in the states)

What brought you here? I married an Englishman (the response from women is "you stupid girl" the response from men is "you made the right choice")

Why did you move here? Because my husband is from Brixham...(they respond and say you stupid girl you should have stayed in the states)

There are a bunch more questions...I will post in another blog sometime...the reason I wanted to mention all the questions is that is part of my daily life from now on..and I have to get used to it even though sometimes it drives me absolutely insane lol...

Thanks for listening

Spring is coming!!!!

Spring is almost here after a long, depressing winter..it has been cold and dreary..but for about 2 weeks we had the most beautiful spring like weather..the sun sets later in the evening it gets lighter earlier and it is amazing how much better you feel when the sun is out. The change in peoples moods is amazing as well. But the one thing that I love about spring here is it just makes this beautiful little town more beautiful...the green hills are greener with all the baby lambs on the side of hill...walking down by the harbor is the best in the warm sun...and the water is so blue..and it makes me happy to live here and shows me just how lucky I am to be here...

Jason and I are getting excited about all the things we will go and do and see in the spring and the summer. It is just like getting a chance to start over...Spring is my fav time of the year..Spring and Fall are my most fav times...

It is kind of like the start of a new chapter in our lives...There is so much going on..my mom and sister are coming to visit in April...Jamie and Alan are expecting their first baby...Patty and Ian are having their 2nd wedding over here in July..In August I get to go visit my family and go to Disneyworld...It will be my parents 40th anniversary, our 1st anniversary, and Jason's 40th Bday ...and then December we will be home again to the States for Christmas...so it is a good year coming up with some exciting things..alot of things to look forward to...my life is going great and I am very lucky and try not to take anything for granted...

Valentine's Day!!!

I must be the luckiest woman ever because I have a very thoughtful, romantic, and loving husband...He had to work on Valentine's day..so he turned Valentine's day into a whole weekend...He took me out for a very romantic dinner at our favorite Italian restaraunt "Bianco's"...and then on Saturday even though he worked all day when he came home we cuddled on the couch and watched a romantic movie..And then I got up at 5:30am on Sunday to get ready for work and he told me to look in his closet..there was a card there for me...when I read it I cried...he wrote the most beautiful things on the inside of that card. I still tear up when I see read it..it also had a lotto scratchcard in it and I won five pounds ($10.00 for my american friends) ..it was the most romantic weekend ever...and I am soo very happy and totally in love :o)

Being Bi Lingual

You really wouldn't think that living in England would require you to learn a whole new language, but it does. Someone once said that "England and America were two countries separated by a common language"..and they were right. There are so many different words for normal everyday stuff.
Here are some examples:
Parking Lot (USA)=Car Park (UK)
Sidewalk (USA)=Pavement (UK)
Sneakers (USA)=Trainers (UK)
Underwear (USA)= Knickers or Pants (UK)
Trunk of a car (USA)=Boot (UK)
Hood of car (USA)=Bonnet (UK)
Lunch (USA)=dinner (UK)
Dinner(USA)=Tea (UK)

It took me awhile to get used to these changes in vocabulary...and it took my brain a little longer to process. I still say pants and mean the jeans I am wearing..but when their faces go pail I realize that I just said the wrong thing...Never ever say the word Fanny over here. It doesn't mean behind it means Vagina...So now I find myself after living here for awhile I am finally starting to become bi lingual in both languages...and it shows how close our two countries are but at the same time how different they both seem to be at the same time...I have a lot more to learn and I look forward to it. But I sometimes get confused trying to figure out what the right words are.

Loneliness

The one thing that I can't get used to here is the loneliness. I am not saying I am lonely all the time. But I have just moved from the United States where all my family and friends are. All the friends I have had my whole life. My best friends. People who know me inside and out. And now I am here and I don't have a full time job so I am home alot more. And alone a lot more. This is something I am not used to. I know alot of people but I only have made a few close friends here. I am lucky for those friends. Kate imparticular. She has made my Sundays fun. We hang out every Sunday and just have fun.
I find that when Jason is at work and I have so much free time I am home alone most of that time. I find myself watching tv and talking to the tv. I guess if you spend enough time alone you will find a way to entertain yourself.
The other thing is immediately after I moved some of my friends just stopped talking to me. I guess out of sight out of mind applies. Maybe they think I have moved so far away that we can't be friends anymore. And that hurts alot. I feel like I am in between both places. Like I don't belong anywhere yet. I feel like I don't belong here yet and I feel like I don't belong in the states either. It is a weird feeling and hard to describe. I am starting to feel like this is starting to be my home. But it is just taking awhile to adjust.
I am sure that this loneliness will pass. But for right now it is hard and I am not used to it. I not used to not having my family around. I miss hugging my mom..or just going out and hanging out with my friends.
If it wasn't for Kate especially...and Jamie, Patty, and David and Tracy I don't know what I would do. But for right now at this moment as I write this I am feeling a little lonely..sorry to be such a downer in this blog..the next one will be better I promise

Being a Housewife

I have always said that when I got married that I wouldn't be one of those women who cooks and cleans and does the laundry and all the housework. I said that we would share the responsibilities. And honestly I have always hated housework until now. My tune has completley changed. I love taking care of my husband. I love making dinner and doing the laundry and hanging it out. ( our house is too small for a tumble dryer)...I don't even mind the housework and find myself trying to keep the house looking nice and clean. I guess part of it is that I don't currently have a full time job and my husband does so I feel it is my job to take care of the house. And I always want to take care of him..I never thought in a million years I would turn into a woman like this..Now I do have one little secret. I keep the whole house as clean as possible. But old habits die hard and I have a guest room where my wardrobe is that has my clothes in it..and I will say that room is a complete mess..because I like it that way...it is a bit of the old Josy coming through..This being a wife thing isn't too terrible...we also have to remember I have only been married for 5 months so in a few months or so ask me again and I bet my answer might change lol

Finding Work

Since I have moved over here in September 2009 I have been putting my CV (aka resume) out absolutely every where. I can't tell you how many jobs I have applied for. Over here in the UK most places you fill out an application online they have a test for you to take as well. I applied for a cell phone company for a customer service job and had to take a test equivalent to the SATs (for my British friends it is the equivalent of the GCSE's to get you into college). It was ridiculous. I spent an hour online applying and taking this test and was turned down. This rejection can have an affect on you after awhile. But most places don't even let you know anything after you apply.
Then I start to worry. I think are they looking at my CV seeing I am American and then putting it off to the side and saying No...will I ever find a job? I look at my CV and I am qualified to do office work and being a technical analyst. And I want a job where I get to use my brain. But right now there are so many people going for the same job..and I have a mark against me because I am an immigrant. And I am a bit disheartened by it. But I keep trying.

I am lucky in the respect that I have a little part time job 2 days a week and I sell avon. But hopefully sometime soon I will find a job and finally have something to keep me busy and let me feel like I am contributing.

I am not going to let it depress me.. I am going to make it all work out..if I can't find anything maybe I will become a stripper or 1-900 operator hehehe

Getting Used to the Food

One of the things that has been a little hard to get used to is the food over here. The vegetables are a little different. Oh they still have carrotts, broccoli, and cauliflower, and potatoes. (I have never eaten so many potatoes as I have over here. But there are new vegetables. Swede, Parsnips, and Turnips. And of course there are brussell sprouts which seem to be the countries favorite vegetable....These vegetables aren't bad except brussell sprouts. But the problem is everytime you get them they have had the hell boiled out of them. They are very unflavorful. I have been trying to learn new ways to prepare these so they have some taste.
There are pies which are usually steak and ale, or steak and kidney (real kidneys not kidney beans) these pies are called Pasties. They are big into roast dinners and most British families have a full roast dinner on Sundays. There are other things I haven't tried and it is merely for the fact of what is in it. Black Pudding is a sausage full of blood and other bits...there are some other foods but I don't want to put you off your meal if you are eating...Most of the food you get in Restaraunts here is very bland with no seasoning. I find that American food is very rich and it is probably all the preservatives that make it taste so good. But the one good side of the way they cook the food and don't fill them with preservatives is that it is healthier and when you go out to eat the food you get is often homecooked. It will take getting use to. But I don't think I will ever stop craving cheesesteaks, decent pizza, and chicken nachos from champps...I have to stop talking about the food I miss now because I am making myself hungry :o)

My Neices

The one thing that is the hardest living on the other side of the world is missing my neices growing up. These two little girls are the cutest, smartest, and funniest little girls I have ever met.

Julianna is 6 going on 30-she is a tomboy in every sense of the word. She is a beautiful little girl. But she loves the dirt, playing outside, bugs and all kind of animals. We call her the dog whisperer because she is the only one that can calm my crazy sister's dog.
The other day my brother was trying to hook up their new HP printer and it wasn't working. So my neice decided that she was going to write a letter of complaint to HP. The words she couldn't spell she phoenetically spelled and then even told them they could come and fix it on Saturday.
She is curious about everything and wants to know about everything. And has a wonderful imagination. She thinks she is Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Lauren is 5 going on 35-she is a girly girl. She always prefers to wear dresses
and jewelrey and her pocket book with her lipgloss in it. She wears here sunglasses on her head because they look cool. She thinks she is Cinderella and you can't tell her any different.
The other night we were skyping when she asked me what my favorite color is. Was it Red or Blue? I said Red and she started writing something down. I said what are you doing. She said I am taking a survey about your favorite color. And I said why? and she said her friend and her were talking and her friend thinks blue is the best color. Lauren disagrees and wanted to take a survey to prove her wrong.

The most fun I have had with them is having them in the wedding. They wanted a princess dress with a train like Aunt Josy and they wanted Tiara's...they got both and they loved it. There is a photo of Lauren with her sequined purse in her flower girl dress and her bejewelled sunglasses. And then like all Princesses they freaked out when the chicken dance came on...They are one of the things I miss the most from the states. I love them with all my heart and am happy that I have skype so I can see them and still somewhat be a part of their lives.

Normal Life

Well it is another beautiful day here in Brixham. Brixham is a small fishing village on the southwest coast of England. We have a beautiful harbor and beautiful beaches. (And for those of you who think that now I live here I should be using the British spelling of things you are wrong lol..I can't justify putting in an extra 'u" in a word). The hills and farmland are green with sheep and horses on the hill.
The one thing about this beautiful little town is the people. Everyone knows everyone else. So you can never get away with anything and if you ever need gossip you just need to wait and eventually someone will be telling you. I remember the first time I was home at night by myself cause Jason was working. I decided to order Chinese and have it deliver. As Jason walked in the door of the house that night he said oh I heard you had this for dinner. And he listed off what I ordered. So it is almost impossible to plan any kind of surprise here.
The people are very nice. And there is something really cool about having to walk everywhere and having people say hi to you as you are walking around. It is way different then life in Pennsylvania.
Life in the UK isn't the only thing you need to get used to. It is the food. Instead of Pizza on a Friday night most Brits get Fish and chips...there is beans on toast, cheese on toast, or you can have a jacket potato (baked potato) with beans on it or cheese or tuna...the vegetables are different to...like Swede, Parsnips, and spring cabbage...they eat a lot of brussel sprouts. (that is one vegetable that I will never ever like)...I sometimes crave food from the states that I can't get here. And trying to get used to the food here has been a little difficult for me. But it is all an adventure...there are some very good things that I love...chips with cheese (steak fries with cheese), sausage rolls (puff pastry around sausage)..I have even found that I like the mushy pea fritter...if I try to explain it to you it will just gross you out lol...
I am getting used to trying to cook some British dishes. On Sunday's they have a big roast dinner. I have yet to cook one yet. But someday I will gear myself up and do that...but for now I am just getting used to life here in Brixham.
Living in a small touristy town has its advantages. I have been lucky enough to be part of the town ghost walk in the summer. I have taken part in a few parades and was able to join theatre group The South Devon Players that helped me make friends and got me involved. For awhile I was involved in a choir in the town. So there are a lot of things to get involved with and that has been a great helping me feel part of the community.
I love the pace of life here. It isn't hectic or stressed. Its just right...

My new life in the UK

My Husband Jason and I were married in August of 2009. I got my visa and came over to Brixham to live with him in September. After 6 years my dreams finally came true. I was finally allowed to be with the man I love. I was so excited about not having a deadline of when I had to leave him to go back to the US. The stress that we had been through over the years of seeing each other every few months and substaining ourselves in the interim with emails and phone calls was finally over. And I thought everything was going to be alright. I knew there would be some homesickness it would only be natural. But I wasn't prepared for the stress I put on myself to be the perfect wife. I came over and immediately started applying for jobs with no luck. And then as time went on with no job the homesickness set in and I started feeling so lonely. My husband had to put up with me and teary weepy days. But he was wonderful and listened to me and comforted me. One of the things that helped me was my friendship with Patty and Ian, Jamie and Alan, and Kate. I wouldn't have been able to get through this without them. Patty and Ian came to our first Thanksgiving celebration here in the UK. Jamie and Alan would have been here but she got sick and was in hospital. (We missed her so). Kate and I have our regular Sunday's where we hang out and play Wii Fit and just hang out. All of these people plus the love and encouragement from my family is what has helped me adjust. And my friends who have supported me in this. So I am ready now to tell my story and to live my life and start my new life here in a new country. Getting used to customs and the way of life...