Pure Michigan vs. Ely. There is room for both.

We've been in England for 6 months now. It is our new home. Current home? I don't know. What does home mean? :)

Several weeks ago in the midst of Spring, while some Summer temps started creeping in, I was walking to the grocery store in the evening and got a whiff of burning wood....like a campfire....where?! Where is it coming from?! Waves of sadness and nostalgia for Pure Michigan came over me...I swear I almost shed a tear.

For the most part, there is just too much to enjoy here to worry about not being there. But you can't escape the feelings that a campfire brings to the surface :) 

When I first wrote about our new home, we were definitely still the new Americans in town. We were sort of recognized at some of the places we frequented, but overall....I still felt like as much as I wanted to experience it, I just as badly wanted to get in and get out of places before I stood out too much. Before they knew!

But everyone is just so friendly here, that I started feeling more comfortable dropping the anxiety that my American accent gave me. When they realize you are an American (*gasp*), they just want to talk, hear your stories and welcome you. I have to say I love living in the country of our closest allies....where we have plenty of similarities and differences to discuss.

I decided to be more talkative and engage more in conversation when I was out and about. And what happened next was.....well, I turned into a Chatty Cathy. 

One particularly epic day, I chatted with the owner of the local chocolate shop about her haircut. I went back later that day and bought some marzipan and chocolate so I wasn't just known as the girl who used her for haircut advice :) I chatted with the gentleman at Mountain Hardware.....just about the weather, but still. And I really chatted up the ladies at the new delicatessen in town about cheese recommendations and all of their tasty-looking products. It was so much more fun being socially normal :)  The next day I talked to the kid working the checkout at Sainsbury's (my grocery store....that I'm in basically every day) about his studies at Cambridge & his Easter holiday.  I had no shame in asking him to help me out when he started using educational terms foreign to me....help out the American, I don't know what you're talking about. 

One day, I left my keys in the door...outside. They had been there a few hours before a nice lady knocked on the door and told me....I know, I'm lucky. But at the same time, I'm not surprised. We feel like we live in a very safe place. A couple weeks later, I was walking down the street back home and had the opportunity to inform someone about THEIR keys in the door.

This all probably sounds silly and miniscule. But, as each day and each week passed, I felt more and more at home.

By the time we were showing all of our visitors our favorite places to eat and drink in town in May, it felt so nice that we were known and greeted with such a friendly welcome everywhere we went. I've never felt such a strong sense of community anywhere I've lived (ok except maybe specifically on Zachary Dr. in Kansas:). I'm already sad for when we leave. 

A little over a week ago, we were at Peacock's  (the local "famous" tearoom across the street) with Dave's Mom and Step dad. As our normal server, who is from France, was inquiring about where they are from in the states, we learned that he really wants to visit Detroit. Yes, you read correctly.  A guy from France who lives in the UK really wants to visit Detroit. He is into photography, and has an interest in capturing the state of a place that is desperately holding onto its roots and trying to recover. He is interested in capturing the beauty of the Motor City. It's A Small World started playing in my head. I was very fascinated with his fascination and found it refreshing that he saw more than what the media portrays. It made me wonder what people over here see/hear about Detroit, and what made him seek out the deeper story. More to talk about next time. I have nothing but fond memories of visiting Detroit as a child, adolescent and adult...Tigers games, Red Wings games (um, also, Stanley Cup parades), Greektown, shows at the Fox Theater, the 4th of July fireworks, SEVERAL auto shows with my family...but can't say I always have the patience or willpower to defend it against people who only see one side of things: its current state, without looking at any of the history about why it was so important to the U.S. and what went wrong. It inspired me to watch the Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown Detroit episode again.

So, here is my opportunity to tell you that the full episode is on Netflix and you should watch it, without shoving it in your face.  It doesn't go into the corruption of leadership over the years, but that is nicely summarized in plenty of articles on the web.

Here is a preview.

So, 2 of my many worlds collided that day.  I have several experiences and travels to write about since we've been here, but I guess I first had to mention the French guy who wants to visit Detroit.

This week, I also have my last 2 of 10 sessions for my Learn to Row course with the Isle of Ely Rowing Club.  It has been an awesome experience learning the sport, getting to know the locals who run the club and meeting other new rowers. I can't wait to join the club and look forward to Saturdays on the water. Fun fact: The first recorded races at the University of Cambridge were in 1827. The Detroit Boat Club was founded in 1839 and is the oldest continuously-operated rowing club in the U.S. Just a little something I learned while reading about the history of rowing. 

One of the many beautiful Saturdays I've had for rowing on the River Great Ouse

Last week, I realized that I now have little fear of the roads and the roundabouts. I decided at that point that it's official. I'm totally integrated. Home is on the left side of the road for now.

However, my mate who is from England just recently corrected me.....it's Beans ON Toast, not Beans and Toast. What is beans on toast, you ask? It's a British thing (or English thing?), and it's amazing, and it's exactly what it sounds like....I make sure to include mature British cheddar.  Wikipedia tells me it is also a British folk singer who sings about sex, drugs and politics. I still have so much to learn, but I'm proud to add Ely to my list of homes. 

It doesn't look like much....I know. Trust.

You have to use these beans.