Six Months

Next week we will have been here in England for six months! It actually feels like a lot longer than that for some reason, but the last couple of months have really flown by. I'm really looking forward to the spring when everything starts growing and blooming again. The countryside will be gorgeous!

We live in a neighborhood on the edge of a small-ish town. It has most everything we need, but just not a whole lot of options. We also do a lot of our shopping on base in our tiny commissary. We are about 30 minutes away from some bigger towns that have malls, Ikea, and other stores we sometimes need.

We still love visiting the small villages that are all around. We went on a nice muddy walk on a footpath in Kidlington over Christmas break. It feels so good to get outside when it is sunny, since a good part of every day is rainy and overcast. All the fields are flooded and the ground is so saturated with water I don't think it will ever dry out! :)

I was nervous about driving when we first got here, but surprisingly I got used to it pretty quick. The roads are really narrow and winding, and there are no shoulders. I used to feel like my car wouldn't even fit in the lane and I'd grip the wheel in fear every time someone came the other direction! There are also TONS of roundabouts - they use them at every intersection instead of traffic lights. They were a little intimidating at first, but now I don't mind them (at least the small ones). Driving at night is not my favorite, since there are no street lights anywhere and it is pitch black.

We are really happy with our home and schools and the base. Things definitely are different here, and sometimes I feel like we stick out like a sore thumb. But everyone is always so friendly and we've really had a great experience so far. Here's to the next six months!!