Where DO I start? It's December 31, 2017, and I'm lying in my beautiful studio here in Falls Church, Virginia watching the sun rise. I'm about to get started or rather get finishing a 5,000-word essay for my World Novel module at King's College London. I know what you're thinking, don't waste your writing hands on this blog.
But how can I not? For me, 2017 was the kind of year that comes once in a lifetime. For the girl who once thought she'd never leave
San Francisco, whose friends were running off backpacking in Switzerland and whose brother took enchanting photos from the Seine, it's remarkable that I've become such an adventurous spirit. When I head back to London, it'll mark my fifth trip across the Atlantic this quarter. And while I keep telling people I won't be back to America for the whole of 2018, I doubt that's true.
Here are the highlights from 2017:
JANUARY: I rejoined a coloring group at the library in
Alice, Texas. Adult
coloring, that is, to make it clear I wasn't doing anything babyish with my time. I was staying with Mom at her beautiful, tropical, 2,000-s.f. home with pool while I job searched remotely. I had made a great friend, Karen Smith, whom I am still in touch with. Karen would go on to win a prize for her work, I would not, but at least my mom and brother said I have a real "gift for color." (I loved the group so much was thinking of giving up both my M.A. plans and
journalism.)
FEBRUARY: I set up a little Valentine's party for Mom in her den. I bought heart items and decorated throughout. I was deep into my Anthony Bourdain
Appetites phase and also cooked up something wonderful, maybe it was his meatloaf or the roasted cauliflower, I can't recall. We had three cats in the house at the time and none were invited to the party.
MARCH: I interviewed via Skype for a job in Arlington, Virginia, to be a business reporter for the trucking industry. I had other interviews too, one at a science publication in New York and another, an editorial job based outside Boston. I felt I was on a roll. Of the three, I thought the science reporter was most up my alley, but the business writing job was coming together for me. I'd just gotten my hair cut and read that one must look at the camera on the computer when speaking via Skype. I swear, I am sure this helped me because prior to this I was staring at the screen during Skype chats!
APRIL: I got the job offer. I started to then get a bit sad thinking of leaving Texas. I had a new friend there, 89-year-old former history teacher George. He and his wife Helen had become good friends of the family, and I was relying on George's hilarious stories at the church supper to provide grist for my creative mill. He was particularly hilarious when railing against the type of froo-froo food a visiting relative was serving him. He and I knew he was being purposely hyperbolic and in reality, he probably enjoyed the organic infusion. (George passed away a few weeks ago. I have cried only as much as I think George would have wanted, because I know he'd have wanted to be remembered with laughter.)
MAY: I left South Texas for a week in
Connecticut before starting the job. I soaked up every day in Milford like a sun-starved puppy. I was so happy to be back, eating my egg 'n cheeses, racing off to Gulf Beach, chatting with the locals. I also knew that the year ahead would be an exhausting one. I had told them at the job I'd be leaving in September for grad school if I got my funding. I therefore knew I was about to embark upon two big moves.
JUNE: I learned about the trucking industry on the job, and then in my free time, couldn't get trucks out of my mind. To this day, whenever a truck goes by I read its signage, look to see if it's got the electronic logging device (ELD) installed - it's a mandate today - and what they're hauling. I know my flat beds from my dump trucks, and the different classes. I also started going to Starbucks for vanilla frapuccinos every day - a huge mistake - both for my waistline and my pocketbook! During this time I also applied for funding for King's College London and was thrilled that I'd been approved.
JULY: "A Capitol Fourth" starring the Beach Boys - what could be better?! Sure, there weren't a lot of the actual boys there, but Mike Love was, and that darling John Stamos, who MC'd the event. I was too far away to have made it into any of the
videos, but if you squint, you can imagine I'm somewhere off to the right in the bushes. Security was easy. Hot dogs pretty good. Crowd lots of fun. The view of the Capitol at night was breathtaking. I'll never forget this night or the fireworks over DC. That month I also went to Chicago to meet my little nephew Jett, then aged 7 mos. When he put his fingers on my face and stared at me up close, as if examining a ripe cantaloupe, I was in heaven. Also great to see Dad, step mom, and sis and her wife.
AUG: My birthday month saw me back in Milford because on the 19th it was Oyster Fest! This was such an historic coincidence that I was beside myself. I actually didn't make it down to hear the music this year and I have never tried one oyster, but I did walk to the crafts fair on the green and got to try and dunk a firefighter. I spent most of my time back at Gulf Beach, natch. The next day I held my annual birthday bash at Serendipity
in New York - my young, longtime mentee Celeste, as well as friends Charlotte and Alex showed. I also gave a month's notice on my job in order to allow them to find a suitable replacement. I was sad to leave, especially when my bosses threw me such a nice party (donuts and coffee, but funny enough, I couldn't eat because I was on my way to have a medical test). As Joe, the exec ed., said: "The great thing about our job is that you have your clips." I was looking at them just today. I am particularly proud of a
story I wrote on extreme weather conditions, which presaged Harvey and the horrible onslaught of hurricanes.
SEPT: I knew it was time to leave and I was getting sadder every day. I also knew I wouldn't make it to school in time and got in touch with my professors at King's. Emrys, the convenor of my program on Eighteenth-Century Studies, kindly agreed to speak with me via Facetime to fill me in on what I was missing. One of my soon-to-be classmates/colleagues also graciously offered to Facetime and share notes. I left my job and then spent a couple weeks getting ready for Blighty, primarily by flying to San Francisco for dental work and Texas to see my mom. I am so glad I did both. I had a nasty cavity that apparently was beyond the scope of what the dentist here in Arlington could manage (she claimed I needed a crown!) But good ol' Dr. Stricker saved the day. Smelling the fresh air at Ocean Beach was a balm. Two days in San Francisco is too short!
OCT: I flew to
London to start grad school almost two weeks late, not bringing my cat,
Wally. I still had a lease back in Falls Church and he could stay there while cat sitters in my building tended to him. I would like to thank them profusely for everything they did! I missed Wally every day we were apart but knowing he was in good hands warmed my heart. Blighty was worth every sacrifice: the first time I saw the King's buildings along the Strand and on Kingsway, I beamed. I had first been admitted to KCL clear back in 2009, deferred numerous times, reapplied, and was readmitted. Then deferred some more times. To actually be there, to be sipping tea at Twinings or
watching a film at the British Film Institute (BFI), walking across Waterloo or Tower Bridge, and hearing the delightful melody of uniformed schoolchildren chatter on the tube was euphoric. Another highlight of the month: visiting the
Enlightened Princesses exhibit at Kensington Palace with my classmates on the core course. How does one accurately describe a palace? After the tour I ventured into other rooms, such as where Queen Victoria had been born.
NOV: I had had to fly back to DC to pick up Wally, of course, and the month started off with me enjoying the good foods I could again access and make here in America versus abroad. It wasn't something I'd planned for, but it turns out my culinary tastes haven't graduated to the level of my intellectual ones, so though my body and heart have left the U.S., not so for my gut. I was on course to lose almost 10 pounds, though, through all the walking, racing to class, and probably studying, that I was doing. When I was back in London I started meeting various characters who'd become material for the blog. Ahmed at the dry cleaner's in particular resonates: his wife is stuck in Afghanistan and they are trying to be reunited in London. I offered to edit his letter, knowing that with English as a second language his battle is that much tougher.
DEC: London and the whole of England, I imagine, start going hog-wild for Christmas sooner than they do in America because Thanksgiving isn't in the way. When I arrived at South Waterloo Station in early November, the city was already lit up for the holidays and soon, people would be
ice skating at Somerset House, which is right next door to the Strand building of King's. I would go out after class and watch the skaters, take some pictures, and sometimes grab a tea. One of my favorite haunts became the
Waterfront Restaurant and Bar of King's, both because it's on the way back to Temple tube stop, where I depart, and because it offers cheap prices and a stunning view of the Thames, London Eye, and Big Ben. By the way, Ben's getting a facelift right now, so unfortunately he's covered in scaffolding.
Photos: Laurie Wiegler
Here are the highlights from 2017:
JANUARY: I rejoined a coloring group at the library in Alice, Texas. Adult coloring, that is, to make it clear I wasn't doing anything babyish with my time. I was staying with Mom at her beautiful, tropical, 2,000-s.f. home with pool while I job searched remotely. I had made a great friend, Karen Smith, whom I am still in touch with. Karen would go on to win a prize for her work, I would not, but at least my mom and brother said I have a real "gift for color." (I loved the group so much was thinking of giving up both my M.A. plans and journalism.)
FEBRUARY: I set up a little Valentine's party for Mom in her den. I bought heart items and decorated throughout. I was deep into my Anthony Bourdain Appetites phase and also cooked up something wonderful, maybe it was his meatloaf or the roasted cauliflower, I can't recall. We had three cats in the house at the time and none were invited to the party.
MARCH: I interviewed via Skype for a job in Arlington, Virginia, to be a business reporter for the trucking industry. I had other interviews too, one at a science publication in New York and another, an editorial job based outside Boston. I felt I was on a roll. Of the three, I thought the science reporter was most up my alley, but the business writing job was coming together for me. I'd just gotten my hair cut and read that one must look at the camera on the computer when speaking via Skype. I swear, I am sure this helped me because prior to this I was staring at the screen during Skype chats!
APRIL: I got the job offer. I started to then get a bit sad thinking of leaving Texas. I had a new friend there, 89-year-old former history teacher George. He and his wife Helen had become good friends of the family, and I was relying on George's hilarious stories at the church supper to provide grist for my creative mill. He was particularly hilarious when railing against the type of froo-froo food a visiting relative was serving him. He and I knew he was being purposely hyperbolic and in reality, he probably enjoyed the organic infusion. (George passed away a few weeks ago. I have cried only as much as I think George would have wanted, because I know he'd have wanted to be remembered with laughter.)
MAY: I left South Texas for a week in Connecticut before starting the job. I soaked up every day in Milford like a sun-starved puppy. I was so happy to be back, eating my egg 'n cheeses, racing off to Gulf Beach, chatting with the locals. I also knew that the year ahead would be an exhausting one. I had told them at the job I'd be leaving in September for grad school if I got my funding. I therefore knew I was about to embark upon two big moves.
JUNE: I learned about the trucking industry on the job, and then in my free time, couldn't get trucks out of my mind. To this day, whenever a truck goes by I read its signage, look to see if it's got the electronic logging device (ELD) installed - it's a mandate today - and what they're hauling. I know my flat beds from my dump trucks, and the different classes. I also started going to Starbucks for vanilla frapuccinos every day - a huge mistake - both for my waistline and my pocketbook! During this time I also applied for funding for King's College London and was thrilled that I'd been approved.
JULY: "A Capitol Fourth" starring the Beach Boys - what could be better?! Sure, there weren't a lot of the actual boys there, but Mike Love was, and that darling John Stamos, who MC'd the event. I was too far away to have made it into any of the videos, but if you squint, you can imagine I'm somewhere off to the right in the bushes. Security was easy. Hot dogs pretty good. Crowd lots of fun. The view of the Capitol at night was breathtaking. I'll never forget this night or the fireworks over DC. That month I also went to Chicago to meet my little nephew Jett, then aged 7 mos. When he put his fingers on my face and stared at me up close, as if examining a ripe cantaloupe, I was in heaven. Also great to see Dad, step mom, and sis and her wife.
AUG: My birthday month saw me back in Milford because on the 19th it was Oyster Fest! This was such an historic coincidence that I was beside myself. I actually didn't make it down to hear the music this year and I have never tried one oyster, but I did walk to the crafts fair on the green and got to try and dunk a firefighter. I spent most of my time back at Gulf Beach, natch. The next day I held my annual birthday bash at Serendipity
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