What is a Rookie Mama? Well, I’m a Rookie Mama. Before we had my eldest son 7 years ago I had never changed a diaper (nappy), I’d put on a baby grow once. It took an hour, and it ended up being back to front and inside out. And for me (& my American hubby) we’ve pretty much been making it up as we go along ever since.
Well, we’re now 10 months into our big Californian adventure. The adrenalin has started to wear off, the reality of flogging our London flat and squashing our worldly possessions into a 20ft container has pretty much sunken in.
OK, political shenanigans aside, it’s been quite a year for the Muklet household too! We did indeed become ‘Stronger Together when we ‘Brexit-ed’. When ‘they (Sterling) went low, we went high’ (in the sky, in an aeroplane, headed to California!). As a trucker be-hatted Donald zig-zagged the country we were glamping in our new house on blow up beds and eating In and Out off of paper plates whilst our worldly possessions floated up the Panama canal in a shipping container.
I was first introduced to Thanksgiving day in November 2001 when I was a young and free 20 something working and playing hard in New York. A year later I had met my American boy (now husband) and was welcomed with open arms (and full tummies) into his family Thanksgiving feasts. Over the years we have had all kinds of Thanksgivings – the big noisy fun family ones, the small Brooklyn sized apartment ones complete with Wholefoods pre-prepped dinner, the budget ‘we’re too tired to cook as we have a newborn baby so we went to KFC’ ones – there’s no real tradition in this household! But the tradition we do uphold is downing tools, coming together with friends and family, and taking a moment to take stock and be thankful.
To the unaccustomed one may think that moving from England to America would be an easy transition. They are both English speaking countries in the Western world, with similar customs and past times right?! Well, for the most part that is true…
Continue reading Observations of an Expat – Part 1 (of many)
Now, I’m gonna try and write this without sounding like an egotistical narcissist!! It’s a very genuine thank you to everyone who has cheered me along thus far. I honestly wouldn’t be able to keep going had I not had the support and encouragement from you all!
It’s getting real! We’re packed up, and our worldly possessions are now on a shipping container headed for LA! California here we come…
I’ve become rather aware I may be sounding like a bit of a stuck record, banging on about our imminent move from London to California. I mean, it’s kinda hard not to talk about it, given that it has practically taken over my daily existence for the past few months!
Continue reading Trying not to over egg the (Californian) omelette
The Rookie Mama 