Living My Nomadic Life

For the last three weeks I have explored, walked and wandered across the coast and along the hilltops of Cornwall. Before coming I was told it was the "Maldives of England" and I had my doubts as to what that would actually mean. I'm not sure I would call it the Maldives of England but it has certainly found a place in my heart.  So far I have timed things nicely to avoid the crowds and my time in Cornwall was no exception. As I sit here writing on my last night the number of campers in the caravan park has gone from three other groups (besides me and the owners) to at least 10 families and I'm told tomorrow will be the crazy day of check ins. I'm happy to be heading north, but I'm sad to leave the coastline behind. The roads were slightly terrifying, the wind rarely took a break, the rain made a near daily appearance, and a scarf and gloves were permanently in my backpack just in case... but I enjoyed every minute.  Kernow, as the locals call it, was settled ...

I never thought I would find myself living in a caravan, which is essentially a small trailer home, but now that I'm in one, I can't say that I'm disappointed. And after living on a boat last summer with two other people for two weeks, this is a dream! My caravan is nicely situated in the farthest southern corner of England, in fact the most Southern point (Lizard Point) is just a 15-minute drive away. To get to the caravan park, I drive a mile down a winding, one-lane road into and out of a small valley that leads me to a clifftop with a gorgeous view of the surrounding area - including a view of the ocean in the distance. The caravan park is incredibly well maintained and is mixed use with space for permanent caravans and mobile caravans (the kind that you can pull on a trailer behind a vehicle). When I first entered my own, it was smaller than I expected, but the living room more than makes up for it. The expanse of windows across the front is a lovely change and makes a...

Merlin's creation? A burial place for Danish Kings? The ruins of an ancient Roman temple? A place of healing or worship? An astronomical computer for predicting eclipses and solar events? Or a way to talk to creatures in outer space? There are a number of theories about how Stonehenge was built and why. Today, the interpretation of Stonehenge is generally as a prehistoric temple aligned with the movements of the sun. But for me, it wasn't as much about why it was there or how it got there, I revelled in the experience of seeing it up close and personal. As a gift to myself I purchased the VIP experience, which is essentially a visit to the stones prior to the park opening. And unlike the general tourists, on this tour, you are given the opportunity to freely roam around the stones (as long as you don't touch). A guide goes with the group to answer questions or provide information as requested. On a normal day, these tours could have up to 30 people. For me, with Covid restr...

First of all, I should explain. I love my birthday. Not because I want presents or to celebrate me, but because May 7th is nicely situated at the end of the school year, with fresh spring weather, tulips and peonies are blooming, and most importantly, it's the best opportunity to bring people together. A lot of good memories have come from my birthday celebrations. Last year, a milestone birthday, I was going to celebrate in Boise, Idaho (in my mind an underrated, charming city - however, thanks to Covid, I have yet to confirm this assessment). Instead I spent it with one of my best friends and her family. I was still spoiled and surrounded by love so definitely a great alternative. At that time, if someone would have guessed where I would spend my next birthday, I don't think I would have guessed London in a million tries. So to be honest, without doing anything at all, my birthday was going to be a good one (and it helps that it started with a midnight Zoom call from family a...

With several neighborhoods now crossed off my list of potential new digs, I decided to head East. There seems to be a little bit of a rivalry in London about which side of the city is better. And from everything I can tell it's really the people on the west side that are the most vocal. I have yet to meet anyone from the east that seems to even care about the rivalry. But with so many telling me that "west is best," I wasn't sure what to expect when I ventured to the east. Shoreditch / Hoxton So I set off for Shoreditch. I knew quickly I was in the right place, I felt like I had stepped outside a pandemic world and quickly into the land of hipsters... the streets were packed with 20-somethings - skateboarders weaved between people, leashed dogs and cars. Very few masks were to be found in the bustling markets with lines 20-people long for food stalls. Designer graffiti in decorated alleys. It didn't take me long to recognize this would be a fun place to visit but ...

When I packed my bags to come to England, my plan was to be on the road and not in the office until this Autumn. But something unexpected occurred on my first day back... I loved it. I worked remotely before the pandemic anywhere between 3-5 days a week. Because of this, Covid didn't impact my day-to-day too drastically. However, after working remotely full time for 14 months (sometimes without ideal desk and office environments), I was immediately hooked on spending time at the office. I was interacting with people I hadn't met, it's been an even longer time since I've done that. But more importantly, I had a desk, water dispensers, printers... A chair! An internet connection that wasn't questionable!!   But what I didn't have were the right clothes and without a pay check until the end of April, I had to be smart. I found an H&M near my Airbnb and braced myself. Even on a good day, I'm not a fan of shopping. And H&M typically doesn't have the c...

It appears I have been lax in getting my blog posts up. I guess this is what happens when you spend all your time working and then just want to get out and explore. The entry below is from April as I was getting out exploring London. The tasks never end with a move. The next challenge I have ahead of me: finding the neighborhood I want to live in. And since Buckingham Palace doesn't seem to want any more Americans making their way in, I suppose I'll have to find another option. The advantage of this task is that the best way to accomplish it is to just explore the city, and lucky for me, we have had some lovely weather to do it. As with any property I am trying to find the balance between location (what type of atmosphere do I want outside my front door?), price (how much of an increase can I stomach after living in Chicago), and space (I was spoiled with a 2 bed/2 bath, how far down will I need to come in London?). And with that, let the exploring begin! Green Park / Buckingha...