An Expat's Anniversary

First let me preface this by saying no you are not seeing things, this IS my first blog post in nearly two years. However, this post does not herald the return of Quintessentially English. Rather, it is a special exception as today is a special day. 

After my alarm went off this morning, and before I dragged myself from bed, I was scrolling through my Facebook timeline, a ritual I do after waking up most days. I had the standard "You have memories to look back on.." notification, which I usually review but rarely comment on. However, one of today's memories made me pause. For today is quite a special day, as without realising I have been living in England for 6 years!

Which means....

Happy Six Year Expat Anniversary to Me!

When I first moved across the pond, I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself in for. I'd not really planned anything other than getting on the plane. My only real certainty was on the other side would be the man I loved and who loved me.

Looking back, it's crazy to think about everything that's changed since then. These six years have been an incredible journey, some of which I've shared with my readers, but some of the highlights are;

1. I've gotten married

2. Lived in 7 different locations, albeit some only for short periods of time

• In Manchester while Luke finished his degree
• With the in-laws in Southam, just after Luke gradutated
• In Worcester after Luke found a job there
• With the other in-laws in a village outside Milton Keynes when I found a job here
• In Milton Keynes when we both found jobs here
• In a different village outside Milton Keynes when we bought our first house
• In the same village as the other in-laws after we sold our first house and bought a new one

3. Bought 2 homes

Our first home

4. Made a successful career for myself
I've just started a new job as Head of Digital Marketing for UnGagged - an SEO/digital marketing conference company

5. Become a mum to Hugo the Springer Spaniel

6. Had my accent morph into a transatlantic confusion
People have asked me if I'm American (yep), British and oddly enough one I get often is Irish.

7. Learned to drive on the wrong side of the road

8. Made some fantastic friendships
Thanks to all who have been along for the ride on both sides of the pond.

Lastly,  I would like to dedicate this post to Luke. He's the whole reason I came to England in the first place. Words cannot really describe what he means to me. He is my best friend, partner-in-crime, sounding board

7 Lies "Friends" Told Me About England

As hard as it is to believe, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Friends this year. To this day I watch the series on repeat, thanks to my DVD collection, and I can still remember crying over the phone to my best friend as we watched the series finale together. It's been ten years since Rachel got off the plane, which is equally hard to believe!

What does all this have to do with my life as an expat and England? Well I'm getting to that. Not only has it been ten years since the series finale of Friends, it has also been ten years since my first trip to London which I talked about in my first travel throwback post. What I neglected to share was one of the reasons why I went to London in the first place was because of Friends. 

It was a few months before my sixteenth birthday and I was watching one of my favourite episodes of Friends, "The One With Ross's Wedding". You know the one when the whole gang, apart from a very pregnant Phoebe, go off to London to watch Ross get married. My mom wanted to do something special for my birthday and asked me what I would like to do. I blurted out that what I would really like to do is go to London. If you read my travel throwback post, you'll know that's exactly what we ended up doing.

A few weeks back I was watching "The One With Ross's Wedding" again and picked up on several lies that the Friends gang told me about England. It's time to set the record straight..

1. Everywhere in England is London.

In an earlier episode, Emily's uncle says, "She's from London, well Shropshire really, but you know.." No I don't know. Can you please explain to me how Shropshire = London?

@MrRandomSilly

To be fair I'm pretty sure most of my family still think I live in London

2. All Londoners wear Union Jack hats.

Sir Richard Branson lied to us, all Londoners do not walk along covered in the Union Jack. In fact, unlike Americans, you'll be hard-pressed to find many English people covered in their flag unless it's the World Cup or something.

Richard Branson as The Vendor | © Warner Bros.

3. You will meet royalty on the street.

Not once in my four years of living in England have I ever just casually met a royal à la Joey's chance encounter with Fergie.The closest I ever got was seeing the Archbishop of Canterbury going into Westminster Abbey to deliver a service to the Queen.

Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) | © Warner Bros.

4. Everyone has live-in housekeepers.

Friends isn't the only perpetrator of this lie. Remember Martin from the 1998 adaptation of The Parent Trap? Sadly, not everyone in England has a live-in housekeeper, but it is a nice allusion.

June Whitfield as The Housekeeper | © Warner Bros.

5. Phone etiquette is very important.

I've never been hung up on and asked to call back with the proper phone etiquette. Perhaps my etiquette is too impeccable to fault. However, I think it's more likely that people don't take phone etiquette quite so seriously as the snooty housekeeper.

6. Everyone has a posh accent.

Living in England you will quickly learn that not everyone speaks like the Queen. Shows like Friends often use English actors who have a standard or posh accent as they are easier to understand for us Americans. However, the variety of accents in this country is unbelievable! 

Just listen to my hubby, when he says "beer can" it sounds like he's saying "bacon" in a Jamaican accent.

7. The English will give advice to strangers on their life.
While many Americans will happily chat to complete strangers about their life and the issues they are facing. This is every Englishman's worst nightmare. The Gentleman On The Plane, played by Hugh Laurie, would never have told Rachel his thoughts on her life... ever.

Hugh Laurie as The Gentleman On The Plane | © Warner Bros.

In closing, although "The One With Ross's Wedding" may have gotten a few things wrong, it remains one of the most iconic Friends episodes of all time! Happy 20th Anniversary Friends!

Q: What is your favourite Friends episode?

Erin x

 

How to Make Damson Gin

It's September and in England there is a slight chill in the morning air that can only mean one thing, autumn is coming! Autumn is one of my favourite times of year. In America, it means Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Halloween festivities and Thanksgiving. In England, it means knitwear, Bonfire Night and some fantastic seasonal food. Coming into season in September are figs, beetroot, apples and damsons - to name a few.

Before moving to England, I had never tried a damson in my life. I don't think I'd even heard of one. So for those of you who don't know about damsons, they are a small fruit similar to a plum. I actually thought they were a type of plum but have since discovered they are a member of the rose family. They have a juicy texture similar to a plum but are slightly tarter. Damsons are typically not eaten raw but instead are used in chutneys, jams and a variety of desserts. However, my favourite use for damsons is in gin!

I tried damson gin for the first time last year from a batch made from Luke's aunt's damson tree and loved it. Imagine my joy when I discovered in our new house we have not one but two damson trees in the back garden. A few weeks ago we were overwhelmed with damsons from our tree, so we used the opportunity to make several bottles of damson gin. It was such fun that I decided to share the recipe, so that you too can take part in this quintessentially English tradition!

I'm so excited to try our homemade damson gin! It should be perfect in time for the holiday season. A small glass of damson gin goes perfect with a cheese, especially a nice mature cheddar.

Q: Have you ever made any treats using damsons? 

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Erin x