Taking the Plunge

We Made It!

It was an interesting experience flying internationally as you watch the entrance to your gate be whittled down, and you quickly find you are among very few Americans. Everyone is either speaking with an accent or another language entirely. I felt very isolated and out of place and I hadn't even left American soil yet! Aaron and I were seated apart from one another, and I was feeling very anxious. Then a nice bloke from Germany sat down next to me and proved to be a wonderful traveling companion during my flight. He helped me numerous times with Channing and assured me what a great time I would have living in Oxford. 

The plane ride alone was like a trip to another universe. We flew British Airways and right off the bat, we were thrown into a different playground with new rules. Our carseat that is FAA approved for travel aboard any US flight was banned in the UK. We would have to hold Channing during our six hour flight overseas which we had planned on sleeping through. That kind of threw a kink in our strategy. Aaron and I adjusted accordingly and began our long trip into Britain. 

Apparently every flight aboard British Airways comes with a "free" full course meal which was new to me. I had read about traditional foods served in most pubs across the ocean, but when the stewardess asked me if I wanted chicken or noodles, I thought, "OH! I guess the traditional cuisine will have to wait for the mainland." Nope! I have no idea what I ate, but it had chicken in it. I think there was some kind of cornmeal present? All I know is I took a large bite of what I thought was mashed potatoes and to my surprise, it was gritty and had the essence of corn! I was also served water in a tea cup, which I thought was delightful! Pinkies up, y'all! 

Aaron and I didn't get much sleep that night, maybe 30 minutes tops. I had heard numerous times during my many months of preparation for my move that soda would be obsolete in the UK, especially diet soda. Anyone that knows me, knows what an addict I am to the enticings of a Diet Dr. Pepper. I was all but falling over departing the plane when there it was, glistening in a beautiful red box with glowing white letters...a coca-cola machine. Hallelujah! I'm saved. My very first purchase in a foreign country...

We got our luggage and proceeded to the border with much anticipation! This was it! We had very little communication with actual people up to this point of how it would work for AJ to get into the country. All our attempts at traditional methods had failed, but there was this one little box on the back of Aaron's orders that listed AJ as a dependent. We were under the impression, based on a  conversation with a member of the British embassy and a random FB post we found for another Air Force base entirely, that all we needed was that box checked and a passport. I think it may have been a blessing that we were so tired from our travel arrangements, because if I had actually spent the last hour in the endless line of immigrants with this on my mind, I may have appeared to be an antsy criminal trying to smuggle something in I wasn't supposed to. Instead I was just trying to keep the kids from knocking people over and causing too much annoyance to those around me. We got in just fine and it wan't until we crossed, that I was like, "WAIT A MINUTE!!! THAT WAS IT! THAT WAS THE MOMENT THAT HAD BEEN GIVING ME GRIEF FOR MONTHS!" I had to take a minute internally to say, "Thank you, God." We were together and that was the easiest part of the trip.

Aaron was revving me up for the next part of the process...customs. This was something else that we had been briefed on heavily as far as what was allowed and what wasn't. I was prepared for my suitcases to be searched and frisked. Instead there were two queues, "items to declare" and "nothing to declare". You pick a gate and go about your way. No one checks you! I'm thinking, "Security is based on the honesty policy? What if you're a terrorist? I'm not going to declare that I have a bomb if I'm planning to blow something up!" I guess at best, they have several people walking around with dogs and machine guns so if you get caught, you're in a heap of trouble. Still...it wasn't what I was expecting.

Making Friends

The couple that arrived two years before us on the same scholarship have been in contact with us over the last month and invited us to their house as soon as we landed. Aaron would have the chance to meet his new supervisor if we went, so we obliged and I am so glad we did. Our kids made instant friends and so did Aaron and I!

I have to admit, after seeing how small and quaint all the houses were, I was again feeling out of sorts. How on Earth were we ever going to fit inside such a small living space?! We had stored a third of our house under the impression we had made the appropriate cuts to our lifestyle, but seeing that the half baths in these houses were on par with the loo on the plane had me questioning my choices! My furniture simply was NOT going to fit into a British home. 

Katie could see that I was feeling ill at the thought of our home goods arriving. What had I done making this move?!?!? She whisked me away for an hour into the heart of Oxford to show what my new life was going to look like. Let me tell you, that was pure inspiration. It was absolutely thrilling just to pull away from all the details of our move and just breathe in what Oxford had to offer.

We cut through pastures along windy dirt trails, across blankets of green grass, through endless canopies of trees when suddenly...voilà! Just like that we went from a scenic country walk amongst free range cattle and were now in the fast pace beats of downtown Oxford. Half the streets are the actual cobblestone dating back further than you can imagine, buildings with the finest architecture you've ever seen, and a local pub on every corner just begging you to come in and try their best bangers and mash and local brew!

It was enchanting to say the least. This was just what my heart needed and Katie knew it. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt at peace with our decision to move here. Yes, there would absolutely be trade-offs, but all would be worth it for THIS experience. We are living what some can only dream of vacationing, and it WILL be smashing!

Learning to Drive While Finding a Home

Aaron and I had been researching homes for months and areas of town we wished to inquiry further. We had it narrowed down to about 8 homes, but had only received word back from 2 letting agents. We were scheduled to see two homes the second day after we arrived and one more the following day. Katie and Michael had offered to watch our kids for us so we could do our house shopping alone which was fantastic! 

First things first though, Aaron and I had to get a rental car and start driving with all of an hour long  crash course from our new friends. I love Aaron for all his fearlessness and willingness to jump right in and go for it. We got our rental and said a quick prayer for protection before embarking on our journey on the wrong side of the road. I don't know why I assumed that traffic signs and signals would be the same over here and that we would just have to do it all on the left, but I was vastly  WRONG! There are signs for EVERYTHING over here and none of them are like America! Hey, at least they're in English though. For example, the white triangle is traditionally used for upcoming things to watch for while driving. There is even a white triangle for elderly people and it features an older man slumped over a cane walking next to a presumably old woman. Aaron's favorite sign so far is the blue circle with a red "X" through it that means DON'T stop! Round-a-bouts are EVERYWHERE and intersections don't exist. Some round-a-bouts are simply just painted on the road, but still require observance. This is one rule I am definitely going to have to watch out for, because every time Aaron does one correctly, I take the crash position barreling to the floor while crying out. That poor man; I don't know how he relaxes with me riding shotgun. 

When renting the car, of course we had to beg the question, "What happens when we wreck? Do we call the police?" The agent informed us that unless the car doesn't drive, you don't call the police. You each fill out what happened on this little slip of paper and explain whose fault it was. We were confused and said, "Well what if the stories don't match?" She was stunned at our question. She explained to us that people are very forthcoming with the truth in the event of an accident and to not worry about it. Again with the honesty policy! So interesting!

Alas, we found our first viewing and even arrived early. We took some time to walk the neighborhood and found it to be just what we were looking for in a new home. It was quiet and yet the folks outside doing their landscape maintenance were friendly and welcoming. The house sits in the best school district which is definitely in our favor for little AJ, but we still needed to see the house itself. Upon entry, I could see that the house was much larger than the other houses I had seen earlier. As a general rule the further out of town you go, the larger the house. This house ended up being a 5 bedroom complete with a toy room and a study for Aaron's office which means not only would we have a guest bedroom, but this DIY mummy would have her own craft room.  The garden is even large enough for our playground equipment! We put in our application immediately, and I am happy to say we were approved! The landlord was very excited to let her house to us for the next three years and even offered to do some upgrades before we move in this October. As soon as the lease is finalized, we can start applying for schools for AJ and Paisley!

Rude Awakenings

We were exploring base and found an awesome playground that will surely see our smiling faces again soon, but we found some not so fun things too...stinging nettle. It is a plant that is native to all of Europe and is found everywhere! Paisley had her first encounter with it on our third day! She let out a scream I have never heard her make in this lifetime. I thought for sure she had been bitten by something, but then she told me that the bush stung her. She was jumping around in agony and clenching her arm. When I finally got her to calm down enough to show me, I immediately knew we were in trouble. I started to trace the route to the emergency room in my head as I began beating down the door that Aaron was behind in the bank. The teller behind the counter took one look at Paisley's arm and dismissed our panic. "Oh that's just stinging nettle, it's everywhere. You can put a cold compress on it, but that's really all you need. It will go away in a bit." I was hardly convinced at her explanation. I wanted Benedryll and an ER doc on board immediately! But in a few minutes, she was right, Paisley calmed down and returned to her bubbly old self. Here is a side by side of her arm before and after! AMAZING and FREAKY!

Culture shock is a real thing, y'all! We have been loaded up in our first week! First of all there are no screens on any of the windows. They open right up to the outside and the wild kingdom is welcomed right into your house for tea and crumpets! Ventilation is a must as it is quite humid here and a simple fan will not do the trick. Mold grows on everything if not properly ventilated, so you just have to get used to sharing your meals with the spiders. Webbing is around everything and the British seem to have zero fear of anything that walks around with 8 legs. Most places don't even sell bug spray! 

People dine out in cemeteries! Yes, you read that correctly. Pull up your favorite seat next to this headstone and bon appétit! Since this town is so old, cemeteries line almost every church and the best shade is found next to dead people! LOL!

The cost of living is quite expensive here. If you want to buy something "American", you get a small sliver of it and you are going to pay up! I think we are accustom to buying things in bulk, "HELLO COSTCO!" So when I can only buy a small tin of goldfish crackers and it is going to cost me 8 quid, I think I will either haul it up to the commissary or I will do without! The American sections at the local grocery stores are not only small, but the items they carry are too funny. You will find lucky charms, oreos, twinkles, an assortment of candy, pop tarts, and goldfish. No wonder Americans are associated with obesity. Haha!

For the most part, I have made some silly mistakes and just have to laugh it off. I thought I would get a bunch of odd looks but instead I get a return of jolly laughter from a local teasing me for my American accent. Heck, I've even been called a cowboy once or twice. To my delightful surprise, Americans are not detested at all like I was anticipating. I had joined a few Facebook groups to sort of get my feet wet in the culture and had read many posts about rude interactions due to being an "American". I was worried to say the least, but every time I speak, eyes light up and I'm pounced with several questions! "Where are you from? Have you ever been to California? Have you ever seen or met anyone famous? What's New York like?" The other day I was asked if I had ever met Miley Cyrus, since I was from Montana. Overall, the demeanor I have been met with is charming and polite.

Shopping and Car Shopping

Next on our to-do list was finding a suitable car for long distance trips and regular grocery shopping at the RAF. Check! We are the proud new owners of an Audi A6. It is big enough for our family, but small enough to weave in and out of these narrow streets. Get this, the used auto shop was in the middle of a field somewhere inside a large quonset. Usually when buying a car, you experience a fast-paced, slick talking salesmen hoping to rope you into a deal that lines their pockets only. They want a quick deal that gets you in your car and off the lot before you have time to do the math. That was NOT at all like this experience. The British haven't a rush to do anything. It was several hours before we even got to take a test drive, and that was after scavenging to find the key for that particular car. We had to put down a deposit to hold the car, and they would get it to us sometime next Thursday after getting the car "sale ready". Needless to say, things run a bit differently over here.

We ventured further Northwest to a hopping town called Banbury in search for wellies, raincoats, and umbrellas. We arrived during a warm snap and had three days before the monsoon was due to hit, or should I say typical Oxford weather. RAIN! RAIN! RAIN! We came up empty handed for most of it, but we found so much more! My favorite new store is called Primark. All the fashion you can imagine and it is dirt cheap. Brits are very fashion forward and encourage your exploration of fun prints and mixing up styles. They want you to keep up with the runway so they make it as affordable as possible. I think I have been living in the wrong country all my life! I have been researching British fashion for the last few months in preparation for the trends, so I was happy to see my newest outfit awaiting me in the entryway to the store! 

What's to Come

Aaron starts induction activities on Sunday, Oct. 2nd so his schedule will be very demanding over the next two weeks. Channing is turning the big #1 the beginning of October so I will have to think of a way to make that extra special in a hotel room. The kids and I have three more weeks until our house will be ready for us to move in to, so until then we are just doing arts & crafts, reading books, and walking around the base. I am hoping it won't take long to get them into a school and find some type of a regular routine whilst still living out of bags and suitcases. I am so amazed at their resiliency during such an upside down lifestyle. It just goes to show you all one really needs to be happy are those around them that make them happy! 

Cheers!
~K