Week One

We have officially been living in London for 1 week.  All in all it has been a smooth transition, and we are continuing to feel more at home each day. 
Jeri has been working hard, and had many late nights last week meeting with the Senior Leadership Team.  The exhaustion of moving did catch up with her, and by Friday she was bedded down with the stomach flu.  My poor sweet girl could barely move.  It broke my heart to see her so ill.  In an effort to find medicine and to combat the dehydration, I cried to exactly two store clerks, and one “chemist.”  Everyone was so nice to help me get her what she needed.  The people here really are quite friendly and helpful.  There is a certain air of ease and patience with which they go about their business.  This is beneficial, I have discovered, when you spill your change purse in the grocery store line and 3 people stroll over to help. Of course the patience must be learned, as we have also discovered when trying to set up a home phone line only to learn that it takes 3 weeks for an engineer to come to the house to set up.
We spent our first weekend sleeping off the illness and exhaustion (I am so glad she is better!), and by Sunday were able to get out for a meandering walk through our new neighborhood.  The weather has been wonderful, and we do like our home.  That being said, I am about to have it out with the washing machine. 
We are surprised to find how little we actually need to get by.  We have the essentials… a bed, two towels, a couple pairs of pants, toiletries, a few pieces of silverware, spices, two mugs, peanut butter from the states, and a coffeepot.  Our air shipment containing a few more essentials has been delayed (by ten days so far), but it has been refreshing to live with only what we need.  Consumption is innately less all the way around.  I walk to the grocery store almost daily ( I LOVE that!) and buy just enough for the next meal.
Things are indeed progressing, and we are looking forward to the reprieve this upcoming weekend.  (As it turns out, I may be able to start teaching Pilates soon, and Jeri is working harder than ever.)  It will be lovely to explore the city, eat lunch in the park, scope out a few antique markets, and perhaps take in a show.

Amy