First Impressions...

Hello friends,

Well, I've decided to try my hand at a blog. No promises for the timeliness of updates, but I'll try to keep you posted on our time here in England. I've been here nearly two weeks (Ian's going on 3 wk). The biggest change has been the weather: it was summer in NJ when I left, and now it's more like March! Of course, I packed all my summer clothes in the suitcases I brought on the plane, so I've had to be a bit creative with my outfits each day. :) When the sun is out, it is gorgeous. We've been having blustery showers most days though. I am glad I had some time at the beach in NJ before coming across!

I flew on August 6 with my friend Sarah and her twin boys, Sean and Thomas. They are 4.5 months, and handled their first transatlantic flight remarkably well. Sarah and the boys (and dad Steve, shortly) will be visitng with the grandparents for a few weeks.



Ian and I are staying in St. Albans with his friend Chris's parents, Colin and Jo. They have been fantastic hosts and have helped us much in this akward transition time. St. Albans is an old Roman city north of London with a train connection (so Ian can commute for his job with Lehman at Canary Wharf). I have been exploring the city and have attended the Friday noon mass at the Abbey (an ecumenical service - Roman Catholic in an Anglican church, with all denominations attending). Alban was England's first martyr, having been executed by the Romans in 250 AD for his Christian beliefs.



We have use of an old car - a GTI - to get around. I've been cleaning it up and it should serve us well, once we sort out a few problems. It has an alarm that can immobilize the engine which has been acting up - so we can't currently drive it! I have taken it out previously though, as we drove it to Weston-super-Mare our first weekend to visit Ian's parents. I am proud to report that I successfully negoitiated the motorways as well as a fair number of round-abouts! It still feels wierd to drive on the left - I tend to walk to the wrong side of the car - but I am getting the hang of it.



While we were in Weston, we drove over to Henbury (4 mi from Bristol city center) to see Wesley College, where I have rented a ground-floor flat. We saw one similar to the one we will rent and it is a nice setup. One and a half bedrooms, a nice sized lounge (with patio doors and a football pitch behind), small kitchen and a bath with a shower head. We will once again need to be creative with storing our stuff, but Hoboken was good practice for that! Move in date is August 29.

We also were able to see Richard, Angela (Ian's sister) and Amy (pictured below) on the Sunday. We are all looking forward to being able to see Hallett family more often!



This past weekend, we negoitiated the bus (coach) system for a trip up to Coventry and a visit with Ian's university buddy Pete and his wife Sam (we flew to England for their wedding last Oct). It was a fun, relaxing weekend and we were also able to see anther friend Joe and his 3-yr-old son Alex. Alex and I had fun climbing on the jungle gym. :)

All in all, we are doing well. Ian has been adjusting to his new role with Lehman, as well as the longer hours and longer commute. The hardest part is just waiting to settle in. Once Chris's current roommate moves out, Ian will take up residence in the second room of Chris's home (hopefully soon!). I've been trying to read some chemistry and fill my days, but it's hard to focus. There are things to be done, but most of them need to wait until we both move into our respective new homes. Watching the Olympics, cleaning the car, going for a run - these are the things I do most days.

Well, that's all for now. My email addresses have not changed if you'd like to get in touch. We have new UK mobile phones, so I'll get that info passed along as well. It was sunny this morning, but - oh, what a surprise - showers are now coming through. :)

Cheers!
Gayle (& Ian)