So, the Little Guy and I are off to Chicago today after a month in England. The weather has been great (except for the last three or four days - cold and rainy) and we've packed a lot in. The LG has been hanging with his second cousin, who is 4 months younger; because of the big gap between him and his siblings, his three first cousins are also a lot older than him, so it's been brilliant to have a family member to hang with. They got on so well that we extended our stay a few days and did some "boy stuff" with them - like Ripley's "Believe it or Not" at Picadilly Circus in London. (Note to self - Next time you do the London Underground with a child, dress him/her in neon green. The amount of times I thought I'd lost him....).
I have to say I'd rather stay here. Even after 25 years in the USA, I feel like I "fit" better in the UK. It's weird really because I'm watching TV not having a clue who all the "celebrities" are, I'm marveling at things in supermarkets (like the range of Branston pickles now on offer) that aren't really new, and I can barely work the pound coin deposit shenanigans that one has to go through to get a trolley (cart) at said supermarket. But still, this is home.
Like many expats, I'm not miserable in my host country. I don't go around complaining about things and comparing everything to the UK; I appreciate that there's good and not so good on both sides of the Pond. Don't worry about me. I'll be more than fine.
I just miss England already.