3 months and still no couch...

It's hard to believe, but we've been here 3 months already. Boy, the time really has flown! Now that we're starting to really settle in and feel more comfortable, we actually have more to reflect upon since we started this adventure.

The UK and the US are not similar in most ways. The language is definitely different, even though both countries speak "English." We've had to learn local vernacular and try not to misuse words that are familiar to us but have different meanings here. It's always interesting to see people's reactions if you use a word in a different context than they're used to.

Work ethics are somewhat different here as well. We're used to go-go-go, and the pace is definitely slower here. Kevin will have comments on this, but in general, people don't seem as frantic to get things done. As a side effect, customer service can suffer because it seems that people don't necessarily have any incentive to provide good service. Service seems to be better here in the small town, but when you get to the bigger cities, you notice the difference.

Work is not easy to come by, the unemployment figures notwithstanding. Apparently, the employments laws have swung more in favor of employees as of late, making it extremely difficult to get rid of poorly-performing workers. The problem on the other end then becomes an extreme slowdown in the pace of hiring, even for contract workers. Combine this with the "I'll get to it later" attitude, and it really makes the process take forever.

We've been lucky that we've found somewhat steady work, but it really came down to the last minute. We were seriously going to have to consider how much longer the funds would hold out. Here we are, two highly-qualified people ready and willing to work, and we found nothing but frustration at every turn. Not to mention the lengths to which Kev had to go to just to get certified over here.

We also discovered it is possible to go without TV. Yes, you heard it here first. I honestly didn't think Kev would survive, but we've both managed quite well without it. Even he's said how much he likes being able to do other things. We've done tons of reading (books, newspapers, etc.) and actually go out and about in town. Kev has investigated some hobby craft stuff, and I've been working on my French and reading a lot. The only thing we really do miss about not having a TV is the ability to put on a DVD on a rainy Sat/Sun afternoon and veg out. We've got the ability to play DVDs on the laptop, but the picture and sound quality are somewhat lacking. We'll live, though.

No, we still do not have a couch, but I just got a tech writing job that starts next week and it pays well, so maybe we'll go to the charity shops and see what's out there. The problem is getting it home! Hopefully, we'll find someone who delivers.

Many of you have asked what's been going on in between our reports of sightseeing. Well, mainly just trying to settle into daily life and getting into a routine. I can honestly say that although this experience is definitely worthwhile, it's been one of the most difficult things either of us has done. We've left a lot of our frustrating experiences out of the blog, I guess because we don't want people to worry about us or, really, for us to seem incompetent or something. But perhaps it's time to start putting those things in. Because those are truly part of the experience as well and those are the things that will make us more well-rounded people (and probably will make more interesting reading!). This trip has really challenged our ability to roll with the punches, so to speak, but I'm proud of us for adapting and carrying on. Of course, not being able to go back to our house until next April at the earliest is additional incentive.

We've definitely had our "pack the bags and get on the next flight out" moments, but thankfully those are short-lived and not as frequent as they were in the first couple of months. It was really difficult at first. We do miss all of you terribly, but just as your lives continue, so must ours. And we do try to keep in mind that this will all be worth it whenever it comes to an end and we can look back on what we learned and did as a great experiment in cultural assimilation. We'll keep you posted...

What we miss:
Family and friends (natch), sourdough bread, Toto's pizza (Kevin), big cheeseburgers, the ocean nearby every day, Bay Coffee, TV (sometimes), good Italian food, Marin Brewing Company, Mezes, Barolo, sunny days, the fog, hiking in West Marin, Cafe Pacifica on Palmetto, barbecuing, fireworks on 4th of July, Nordstrom...

What we like here:
Pubs (now smoke free!!!), castles, manor houses, rolling green hills and fields, fantastic museums, cheap flights to Europe, 95% of our needs within 5 minutes' walk, the ability to buy groceries in manageable sizes (e.g. sugar in 500 gram bags instead of 5lb sacks), efficient use of house space (not much space to waste), decent public transportation, beer (sorry, it really is better over here), the sense of history, the general friendliness of everyone (although this may be the small town thing), pub food, fish and chips, brick houses with architectural interest...