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| Heading to London! |
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| We made it-I slept for a week after arrival! |
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| Tired but happy to see Dad! |
Country count is as follows:
France (Jen to Paris 2x, family to St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz)
Spain
Italy (Rome)
Ireland (Pete many times to Dublin, family road trip in Feb)
Kenya
Dubai (Pete)
USA (Pete)
Holland (Pete)
Turkey (Pete)
Stuff we have done in England:
Isle of Wight
Cotswalds (2x)
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Royal Ascot
Queen's Jubilee
Henley Royal Regatta
London Olympics (gymnastics, cycling, swimming, triathlon, beach volleyball, track and field, torch relay)
Stonehenge
Blenheim Palace
Windosr Castle x6
Wincester Christmas Markets
Book of Mormon
Lion King
Wicked
21 Mile walk in Stroud
ATP World Tennis match
Bath
Hayling Island (residence camp for Henry)
Hampton Court Palace
Madonna concert (Jen)
Biffy Clyro concert (Pete)
Henry graduating from Year 6 to secondary school
lots of things in London
continued with gymnastics (May)
learned how to pay cricket (Henry)
discovered cross country running (May)
experienced the British health care system (NHS) with a stay in the hospital (Henry)
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| First outing to London...Regents Park in the spring (my hair has not looked liked that since)! |
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| First day at Polehampton Junior School |
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| Prince Chuck at the Queen's Jubilee street party in Piccadilly! |
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| Well done Queen, well done...trying to catch a glimpse of the Queen's barge on the Thames during the flotilla |
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| Olympic Stadium during Track and Field |
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| First day of school in September |
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| Kenya |
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| The whole family in the Masai Mara (red hair) |
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| Fancy dress for the Royal Ascot with the Grimsteads! |
Celebrity sightings:
Met the Fonz
Orlando Bloom
Bill Nighy
Hugh Grant
Prince Charles and Camilla
Visitors to date:
21
Colours my hair has been:
4
In order to get a feel for where we are at a year into this adventure, I decided to interview the kids for their POV on this big Davis family adventure!
Questions:
Has the year gone by fast or slow? Why?
HENRY: It has been so fast because it has been so fun, we did a lot of things and experienced everything!
MAY: Too slow. I miss my friends but I also like my friends here.
What has been your favourite thing we have done?
HENRY: I really like going into London because we do new things every time we go. I loved the Olympics, especially the swimming because it was cool to watch and we saw Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. I like Africa because of all the cool animals and I loved swimming in the river and playing in the mud!
MAY: I loved going to Kenya. I really liked seeing GG, Papa, Uncle Will and Rye and seeing all the animals. I like going to all these new countries that I have never been too.
What is the worst thing we have done?
HENRY: All the hiking my Mom makes us do. (I knew he would say that!)
MAY: I don't always like going to London because it is so busy and the streets are crowded. I like going to see the sights and the stores but sometimes it is too crowded.
What has been your favourite thing about England?
HENRY: Meeting my new friends and that stuff here is like a million years older like all the castles and houses.
MAY: I like living in Twyford. You can easily walk to town with your friends and buy candy at the shops.
What do you miss the most from home?
HENRY: Mexican food/chimichangas from Costco, my friends/family, American football, baseball and basketball, chimichangas...did I say chimichangas ? Oh and Smarties and Hershey's chocolate. And root beer!
MAY: My dog, Stella, our big house, my friends and my rope swing in the playroom. I miss the space-these houses are tiny. I miss chimichangas, goldfish and root beer.
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| If anyone can find a way to get these for us I think you would have two grateful kids and one grateful husband... |
What do you like better in England than in the US?
HENRY: There is more stuff to do here and I like taking the train/Tube places. And I like the fish and chips, bangers and mash and ginger beer!
MAY: I like the Cloudy Lemonade a lot! I like going to the pubs and hanging out and seeing all the castles they have here. I like it that so many friends come to visit us! The tea and chocolate are better here too.
If you could live anywhere that we have visited where would it be and why?
HENRY: I would like to live in Africa but only at the camps we visited (LOL-spoiled!) And maybe the Cotswalds because of all the countryside and we could own sheep.
MAY: I think maybe in Kenya. I would like to live where Boni (our guide at Lemarti's Camp) lives and meet all sorts of new people and show them Africa. And the weather is warm most of the year!
Is school harder or easier here than in the US? How?
HENRY: It is harder. You get a load more homework, you have 16 classes and you get detentions for everything. But I have not gotten a detention.
MAY: It is easier I think but has a lot more tests. Math was harder in the US than it is now. You have to wear uniforms, the teachers have British accents and they tell people off all the time!
What do you like better about school in the UK?
HENRY: We get to cook food in Food Tech, make stuff in Product Design and you get more school holidays.
MAY: I like PE better in the UK because we do more fun things. We run a lot which I like!
Where do you still want to travel to?
HENRY: Belgium so I can eat chocolate, Switzerland to snowboard, Normandy for my school trip, basically anywhere in Europe.
MAY: I want to go back to Kenya. I also want to go to Switzerland, Fiji, Barcelona, Dubai and Austria. I want to try skiing in Switzerland too!
What's on tap for the next year:
a visit from the Basch family including a quick trip to Paris
Bruges and Brussels
May's residential trip to Hayling Island
GG and Papa visit with a weekend trip to the Yorkshire Dales and York
Henry's school trip to Normandy
Royal Ascot
Henley Royal Regatta
Wimbledon
a visit from Paula and Grover and family
a visit from Roger and Leigh and family
a visit from Kristin and her daughter Kate
a visit from Stacey and her daughter Maddie
a visit from Andrew and Jessica and family
A visit from Dina for Royal Ascot and Wimbledon
Wimbledon with my favourite neighbour to the Men's semi-finals
May's graduation from Year 6 to secondary school
a visit from Pete's sister and her kids with a weekend trip to Edinburgh
Road trip to Normandy to see DDay sites with Pete's sister and her family
Road trip and hiking trip to Switzerland
...and that's only through August...
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