Hallo! I returned from Munich last night...thus the greeting. I must say that I feel a bit less intimidated about living in England after spending two days in Bavaria where I could understand only a handful of words spoken or read. Truly. Words that made sense..."penne"(pasta), "pizza margherita" (cheese pizza), and "tomaten" (tomato). I am not exaggerating. I would open a menu to order something to eat, and...nada. I knew not a thing. The time there was nice. I went to participate in a training time to learn more about working with a committee, managing volunteer leaders, and also to spend some good time with others from around Europe who have the same job as I do. I went with three of the other staff women from here in London.

Ok, I know that all have been waiting for more detail from this side of the pond. I have promised and promised. I will do my best. You may have to read this in multiple sittings. : )
Life is fairly loaded with new information and circumstance these days.

I am currently living in Surrey, about a 40 minute train ride from central London. I am staying with one of the other staff girls, Kerry, in her flat...about a mile from the office/Brooke and Tate's house (my supervisors/fellow staff). We are joking currently that I am about 2/3 of a person here in the UK. I have set up a local bank account and acquired a "mobile". I will consider myself 3/3 once I have a home of my own, I think. But, hey 2/3 of the way to fully existing in about a week is amazing from what they tell me over here.
I am in search of my home, a.k.a. my flat, currently. I am looking for a flatshare somewhere near The American School in London (ASL) where I will be working. I have some prospects, so pray for that when you think of me. : )
I have embarked into the city a couple of times which has been possible with no issue and quite a bit of ease. I am thankful. I was not as intimidated as I thought I might have been last Sunday when I went in to meet a girl for church at All Souls. It was quite a delightful day, attending church and then going to eat at a place called Nando's, attractive for its food and for the free refill option on soda which is quite sparse in the UK. I had lunch with a girl who is Dutch-Australian, two Chinese-Brit girls, and a Scotsman. So cool! I was amazed at the diversity and the ease of conversation and relatability.
My new pal, Zsa is a delight! She is teaching me English lingo and phrases just by hanging out with her. She asks me things constantly about America and is eager to clarify all things English.
We got lost the other day driving to visit Liz's Wyldlife club. We even had a navigational GPS system, but it turns out that if the wrong address is plugged in, this device has trouble working properly. : ) We got stuck in traffic, and she exclaimed, "Oh, this is dire!!". I laughed the entire 2 hours we drove around. She is overwhelmed by the loudness of American kids..."I wasn't prepared for the volume", she remarked. Yes, we are loud, us Americans.
Strange. I feel as though I have been here a month rather than a 9 days. I feel like I could spend every moment recording a new thought due to the newness of each experience.
I went to the movies the other day with Brooke and Kerry here nearby (in Staines). The seats had absolutely no recline...the antithesis of the American movie theatre seat, not a bit of recline. Interesting. No wonder the Brits are known for having good posture, even in the movies, they sit up straight! : ) We saw "Little Miss Sunshine". Funny, I must say.
I have a dehumidifier in my room at Kerry's house...it is that damp in that corner of the house...so interesting. The weather here has been lovely! Today it is a Simpson cloud day, with a nice breeze and 70 degree temperatures.
Ok, I will post again at least by next Thursday, my normal posting day. Hopefully, my routine will begin soon.
Ok, word/phrase of the week... "I couldn't be bothered..." Such as, "I couldn't be bothered to go to the store to pick up groceries." Basically it means, I didn't want to do something, but it sounds so much more proper and polite, less like a lazy statement that we would think it would be.
Feel free to email with questions and or whatever. My email checking is a bit sparatic due to no internet connection at Kerry's, so I ask for your patience til the routine kicks in. :)
Love you and miss you all. Check the email for the contact info for me...mobile number.
kb