I loved this so much Joy! It is so good to be reminded that we can be thankful in everything, and that there is so much to be thankful for. I have of late been regarding technology with some suspicion, thinking of all the cost involved with innovation, but your thoughts are refreshing. Of course my slight disapproval of said technology was only ever theoretical 😅, here I am typing away on my phone... But yes, thank goodness for grocery stores. Also, another modern thing to be grateful for... Air travel! Traveling with ease (in comparison to previous eras). We (read, me) often tend to romanticise the past, and frown on the present innovations and comforts, but really, we can be enchanted with the present world. As you said: WiFi? Magic. ;)
I know you work at Kings College, but .... did you work from home all that time? Or just go in for a week or so here and there when need be? I just looked up the train time from Scotland to King's College and I thought, "huh...I doubt that's a daily commute!" LOL
May your loose ends be tied, and may the move go relatively uneventful. Cheers to your new home!
Great question...! I'm on a research contract, so a lot of my work can be done from home or in a library. And then I usually go down once every three weeks for the research seminar and to meet with students I'm supervising ,etc. When I was teaching more regularly, I would go down once a week and stay the night so that I had two work days in London.
Surprisingly, I'd say about half the department doesn't live in London.
But I'm very much looking forward to being in the office more!
How exciting to be moving to London! I imagine that you will miss Scotland greatly, but new adventures await!! We got a new kitten a week ago and so our weekend was filled with playing and snuggles with her, Penelope. I have also started putting up my Christmas decor, because we travel to Texas for Thanksgiving week and when I come home I want most of the Christmas already up so I can just lean in to the beauty of the season.
I started my Saturday with a swim in a lake. I’ve just started open water swimming, this was my second time. It was cold but exhilarating and I loved it. The rest of the day was spent trying to declutter a bit, though my children declared precious everything I put aside of recycling or charity. Living in London is a great experience for a time. I now live 50 mins outside of London so I have the bonus of quick assess but more countryside now.
A lake swim sounds lovely. Friends in Scotland love a sea-swim which I admire, but in which I do not partake. My feeling is that many people have a "for a time" period of life in London. We're there for the foreseeable future, but perhaps one day the country side will call our names (though, tbh, the countryside is always calling my name).
London!! You are so lucky! I lived there for six months ten years ago and still miss it. Love your blog and all the life-lessons you are living and learning. I am still learning at 61! I am thankful mostly for my Breville espresso maker. After traveling for the past eight weeks, we are home again to our lovely bed and coffee! I love IKEA too, we recently built our own kitchen using IKEA cabinets. Another big life lesson to do! We live in boonies Colorado which is a food desert here. So I know what that is like. Will be thinking about you as you make the big move!
Ooo! We've been contemplating buying an espresso maker someday. Do you recommend Breville? We were actually admiring the IKEA cabinets when we went on our wander through the show rooms.
Ooo I love East London , these are my favourite east London things:
London fields lido
Columbia road flower market on Sundays
Turkish food centre (like being on holiday in a supermarket and cheap too ! You should go)
The canal and coffee at the towpath cafe
Columbia road on the four Wednesdays before Christmas
I spent my Saturday doing lunch for 25 - it went well and was fun
I'm taking notes, Miranda...
I loved this so much Joy! It is so good to be reminded that we can be thankful in everything, and that there is so much to be thankful for. I have of late been regarding technology with some suspicion, thinking of all the cost involved with innovation, but your thoughts are refreshing. Of course my slight disapproval of said technology was only ever theoretical 😅, here I am typing away on my phone... But yes, thank goodness for grocery stores. Also, another modern thing to be grateful for... Air travel! Traveling with ease (in comparison to previous eras). We (read, me) often tend to romanticise the past, and frown on the present innovations and comforts, but really, we can be enchanted with the present world. As you said: WiFi? Magic. ;)
One thing that I truly enjoy in the modern world is a good cappuccino. 😍
Congrats on securing housing!
I know you work at Kings College, but .... did you work from home all that time? Or just go in for a week or so here and there when need be? I just looked up the train time from Scotland to King's College and I thought, "huh...I doubt that's a daily commute!" LOL
May your loose ends be tied, and may the move go relatively uneventful. Cheers to your new home!
Great question...! I'm on a research contract, so a lot of my work can be done from home or in a library. And then I usually go down once every three weeks for the research seminar and to meet with students I'm supervising ,etc. When I was teaching more regularly, I would go down once a week and stay the night so that I had two work days in London.
Surprisingly, I'd say about half the department doesn't live in London.
But I'm very much looking forward to being in the office more!
That makes much more sense sense. It's nice that you could do it from home while it worked for you!
How exciting to be moving to London! I imagine that you will miss Scotland greatly, but new adventures await!! We got a new kitten a week ago and so our weekend was filled with playing and snuggles with her, Penelope. I have also started putting up my Christmas decor, because we travel to Texas for Thanksgiving week and when I come home I want most of the Christmas already up so I can just lean in to the beauty of the season.
Congratulations on the arrival of Penelope. I am also particularly excited for Christmas (and advent) this year. I crave the cozy— and the beauty.
I started my Saturday with a swim in a lake. I’ve just started open water swimming, this was my second time. It was cold but exhilarating and I loved it. The rest of the day was spent trying to declutter a bit, though my children declared precious everything I put aside of recycling or charity. Living in London is a great experience for a time. I now live 50 mins outside of London so I have the bonus of quick assess but more countryside now.
A lake swim sounds lovely. Friends in Scotland love a sea-swim which I admire, but in which I do not partake. My feeling is that many people have a "for a time" period of life in London. We're there for the foreseeable future, but perhaps one day the country side will call our names (though, tbh, the countryside is always calling my name).
London!! You are so lucky! I lived there for six months ten years ago and still miss it. Love your blog and all the life-lessons you are living and learning. I am still learning at 61! I am thankful mostly for my Breville espresso maker. After traveling for the past eight weeks, we are home again to our lovely bed and coffee! I love IKEA too, we recently built our own kitchen using IKEA cabinets. Another big life lesson to do! We live in boonies Colorado which is a food desert here. So I know what that is like. Will be thinking about you as you make the big move!
Ooo! We've been contemplating buying an espresso maker someday. Do you recommend Breville? We were actually admiring the IKEA cabinets when we went on our wander through the show rooms.
A coffee maker is so so good if you live in the middle of nowhere- in my bit of Scotland we are a forty five minute drive from a cappuccino otherwise
A 45 min drive to a cappuccino is quite a bit! 😅