You, yes you sir are the reason Brits hate Americans.

As I sit in one of my most favorite local pubs, doing my thing on the computer, playing Farm Heroes Saga between applying for jobs and sipping a Peroni, I'm eavesdropping on the table next to me. Five men talking about computers and programming, exhilarating I know. However one lone man is American. Don't ask me how I know, I just know. I mean besides the accent, I know. What gave it away was his arrogant attitude! He has complained about everything even saying "unfortunately the food here is really good". WTH does that even mean?!

I will never understand people who go thru life looking for the wrong/bad things rate than embracing the wonderful things. That has to SUCK! Not only suck for them but everyone else around them.I actively try not to associate with that type of people, sometimes it is hard. I don't aim to control people but if people would stop the pity party and learn to live a little as well as laugh a lot, the world would be amazing!

But as I finish my soup, I realize how people view Americans and it hurts. It hurts that just a few bad apples really do ruin the whole bunch. We are not all like that! At all. Most of us embrace the differences and learn to adjust and overcome.

Stay tuned for my anniversary update. I've been thinking about this one for a while.. SEVER years! SEVEN!

~Wife

Beaches, Glasses, Haircuts

Random topic I know but there are just a few of the things on my mind. It's May 16, 2014. Normally, I'd be wearing shorts, tank-tops with flip-flops or some other sandal. Here, I've had to unpack my coats. I was wearing Uggs with leggings and coat last week. One of the hardest things has been learning to cope with the differences in weather. Winter was fine because it was winter. I expected it to be cold and rainy, now though, it is SUMMER! I want summer dresses and summer shoes. I want SUN! We've had a few good days of weather here and I was able to wear some summer-ish type clothes but nothing like I would have been wearing back home. I don't particularly like clothes especially winter clothes. So, I look forward to my summer wardrobe, which isn't anything special but I feel alive in summer. And on that note, I'm taking the family to the beach tomorrow! The water will likely be way too cold to get in but we are going anyway! I want some sun and fun. I'm packing a picnic and we are going do for fun. I can't wait.

Glasses.. there's been a revolution in glasses. The big, square, oversized frames. I think it's kind of cool that glasses are now so "in". I succumbed to the trend. I haven't had new glasses in 7 years! Yes, SEVEN! I still have my others and love them but rarely wear them, I'm a contact kind of girl until I can get LASIK. Anyway, I was able to pick out a new pair of glass for FREE with my contact order. That's pretty awesome. They aren't a brand name or anything, but who cares?! Now I just have to get used to wearing them.

Hair, every woman's most hated and loved topic. My hair has been giving me fits since I moved here. The water is hard, which in most cases would make it do what I want, but it makes mine feel like straw. I text my husband this morning saying I wanted to cut my hair. See, I've dyed it 3 times since we've been here! Tried to keep the blonde, that didn't work, went brunette and it was OK, then did something different and went red which is great now but only been a week. I love hair but I love when hair works right. So, this morning after my shower I decided to try something new. Nothing outstanding but I dried it differently than normal and low and behold if it didn't look fantastic! I laughed at myself. The hair gods were with me saying "DO NOT CUT!" So I listened and will live another day with long hair.

Wake-up Calls

Sometimes life hits you hard, when you aren't looking. These are the moments that leave me wanting to blog, feeling numb or just plain confused. I don't always like these moments but I think they are necessary to keep us human and in the now. My younger daughter said some things to me other the weekend that made me question my every being, if I was a good mom, what I was doing with my life.. Yes profound that a 5 year old can bring me to my knees. She has no idea the power of her words.

Here I am 3 days later still pondering life. How does anyone know what they are doing, if they are doing it right, if they are truly happy being themselves. Some days I feel like I have no identity. My identity is a compliation of many other peoples ideas, thoughts, requests, likes to the point that I have no idea what I like. I see something someone else is doing and think oh, that's cool or ah, I like that maybe I should try it. It's as silly as hair color. I cannot decide on my own the hair color I like or want. I thought I liked myself as a blonde then I allowed other peoples opinions sway me to go brunette now here I am red wanting even more of a change. I don't know what it is about changes. Some of them I love, even create just to have a change. Other changes I run from, like moving 14 times in 7 years. Yes, 14 now. Pretty soon I'll stop counting. 

Soul searching isn't easy. You face yourself the good and bad which isn't any easy thing for me to do. I feel like I need to spend more time with myself and just myself thinking about what life really is about. 

For now.. 

~wife