We've Reverted to Children

We’re nearly two weeks in and in reflecting upon our situation I’ve decided that we’ve reverted to children.

It’s funny because there’s this perception that because we speak the same language (huge point of debate really) this should all come easy to us. While it’s easier than being in China presumably, we are having to relearn a lot of things.

Crossing the street for instance. Think back to when you were a young child and your parents held your hand as they taught you to look both ways. Well they taught you to look LEFT (then right, then left again). Imagine trying to rewire your brain to now look RIGHT. Not to mention, traffic seems to come from every direction here. It’s terrifying! Thank God, seriously, for the reminders on nearly every street that tell you which direction to look. While true Londoners brave the streets and jaywalk, we find ourselves patiently (ha!) waiting for the light to change for fear of death by bus or motor bike.

Then there are matters of money. I love the money here, and since it still feels like vacation we seem to be spending it like it’s similar colored cousin Monopoly money – well the bills at least. The first weekend David sat down with me, again like you would with a child, and we practiced the coins. The one and two pound coins are easy, but beyond that I’m a bit lost. I find myself taking handfuls of change and just putting them in shopkeepers faces, and leaving what I pay up to their patience and honesty.

When I think I’ve finally gotten the coins down, our cheque (not check) books arrived. I opened them up and the first thing that popped into my head was, “what the fuck is this”!? I clearly remember that lesson in fifth grade where they taught us how to write out a check and balance our checkbooks. This is nothing like that. Someone is literally going to have to sit us down and show us how to do this.

But with all of this, I don’t want you to think that a child-like approach to living abroad is a bad one. Eventually we’ll have to grow up, but in the mean time we are seeing this city with a lens that I believe will help us make the most of it while we can.