What do you mean you don’t like it? What’s not to like?

View from the Millenium Bridge

My friends were incredulous when I first told them, well sometimes, I don't really like living in London.

Mind you, part mere naiveté and part arrogance, I assumed that I was merely moving to the other part of the United States with better accents and television programming. Part of me has never wanted to admit that aloud! Me – who could travel anywhere, anytime at the drop of a hat. Me, who has dreamed of living abroad for as far back as I can even remember, has struggled to accept living here. It is one of those things that until you have done it – rearranged your life, left your job, family, friends, your cat, everything – it’s really hard to understand.

"Are you ever afraid?"

Since moving to the UK, I am often asked “Are you ever afraid?” No one ever really finishes the sentence though. I wonder….Afraid of the tube? (At rush hour – Yes, mortally so!) Afraid of black pudding? (Yes! Still not sure what it is exactly!) Afraid of roundabouts? (Yes! Yes!) Afraid of a terrorist attack? Well, doesn’t ever really cross my mind….not really until now.

Formerly bombed neighborhood in Belfast

However, daily reminders of such violence can be found all over London, and in the most unexpected places – memorial plaques at tube stations and even at Harrods, constantly changing color coded terror alerts with no warning or explanation, only speculation, stringent airline security measures that surprise even me, and the daily papers full of ongoing memorials, enquiries and editorials to the events of 7/7 when coordinated suicide attacks on the tube and buses killed 52 commuters.

Royal Ascot

Need a reason to wear a fabulous dress, over the top millinery and drink champagne at 10:00am? Then Royal Ascot is the event for you.  This year marked my first year at Royal Ascot, the quintessential British tradition that began in 1711 (and I like to think it’s now my tradition started in 2010!) Lovely ladies in well adorned hats, handsome men in ties and tails, bottles of Bollinger champagne, jugs of Pimm’s embellished with fresh mint, oranges and cucumber…and let’s not forget the silver platters of clotted cream and strawberries. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday!