POSITIVES:
- I feel incredibly settled and at home, having been here for such a short time, and considering the fact that we currently don't have a home... that comes as a huge surprise!
- Feeling safe. It is so amazing not to feel fearful at all - no burglar bars, or burglar alarms, and people walk their dogs all over the place in the dark all the time
- So far, the Winter weather is not nearly as awful as I had imagined, as long as you dress properly for the weather you can go out and about quite comfortably. (I'm guessing that might change as we head towards February - I've been warned it can get pretty grim!)
- There is a lovely Wintery, Christmassy atmosphere, Christmas lights and music everywhere... I'm LOVING that!
- I am really happy with the area of Buckinghamshire we have settled in - it's absolutely lovely!
- Being vegetarian is REALLY easy in the UK. The options are endless and delicious.
- People are SO friendly, it astounds me daily - from the cashiers at supermarkets to the moms at Issy's school - people have been unfailingly polite and friendly
- The postal service is awesome
- There is no litter and it is incredibly clean, even the public loos
- The Christmas markets are amazing!
- Mulled wine!!! Mulled cider!!! Heavenly...
- We have managed to see several friends in the short time we've been here, which has helped us to feel settled. I love that my Lissy is less than an hour away!
- We live in the Chilterns, there are Red Kites in our area - as in the bird of prey, not the child's toy - they were on the brink of extinction and have been successfully re-introduced. I love seeing them every day. Makes my heart smile.
- There are loads of woods, National Trust properties and lovely walks on our doorstep
- Getting to know the local wildlife is such fun
- Public transport is amazing here
- London is less than an hour's train ride away
- Online shopping.
NEGATIVES:
- I miss my Paula and Impi something fierce!
- My body-clock was terribly confused by the sun setting at 4pm, getting used to it now, but it is a bit weird! I keep on wanting to eat supper at 5pm.
- Things work so well here, but that can be a bit intimidating - I feel like at any moment I might do the wrong thing. Makes me a bit nervous
- Spending rands..... eish! It's expensive.
- At the moment I am fully embracing the cold, Wintery, darkness - it's cosy and I genuinely love it, but I can imagine that by the end of February it may get a bit old and I'll be yearning for sunshine.
- It's a pain getting the kiddies all dressed up in their coats, hats, gloves and boots before we go anywhere - and they can't wear their coats in their car seats, so it's a battle we fight repeatedly.... coat on, coat off, coat on again....
- This place doesn't sell the good meds... my headaches call for Myprodol, my colds call for Corenza C and Linctagon and that weird tooth sometimes needs Cataflam... problems!
- There is no Woolies chai.... sob, sob, sob....
- There is no Tommy's sushi.....sob, sob, sob....
- lime scale. It's a nuisance
- Issy has jumped all the way into "big school" - she's now in a uniform, going to school from 9am to 3pm, learning the 3Rs. Guys! She's only little!
- I think I sometimes come across as rude. The people are very, very polite, whereas I think we can sometimes be a bit "bull in a china shop".
- The central heating does a number on my sinuses. It can get very dry and stuffy. You'd know our house, it's the one that regularly has the windows and doors flung open when it gets a bit much for me.
- I haven't been able to find decent sushi in our immediate area. (Can you tell the girl is missing her sushi-fix?!
