Above Water

Well hello there... 

Yes, it's been a while since my last blog.  I am not a good blogger while also in the middle of major life adjustments.  I started blogging when we moved to London, and then stopped for a few months (not really on purpose) while my feet found the ground.  Apparently I had to do that again after the move to New York - I need to sort out everything that is going on in my head and life before I can actually type out words again.  Which is too bad because I've had things to blog about!  I'm going to try to keep up now.  

First of all, the new name of this blog - it's temporary.  I couldn't figure anything better last time I logged in and really wanted to change the format from London to not London - mostly because looking at my old London skyline format made me sad that I couldn't see it in person every day anymore.  So it may change again.  

We are living in TriBeCa, which if you aren't familiar means "Triangle Below Canal (Street)".  We are just a few blocks north from where the old WTC towers stood.  For the first month or two I would stare up into the sky just outside of my building and imagine what they would look like there.  I also imagined the terror and absolute mess all around on the streets I now walk daily.  I've stopped doing that, it's not very pleasant to do on a regular basis.  

I really like the neighborhood, although I still feel as if I need to get to know it better.  I have been in NYC since March 1, but have been out of town almost as much as I have been in town.  Or that's how it feels anyway.  The first couple months I spent in major whiplash from the move, really from the last 16 months in general.  Lots of changes to absorb.  I really haven't gotten into a groove here yet, I'm starting to - I'm in a better place mentally/emotionally than I was about a month and a half ago.  But we've been traveling a lot and I don't think I've reached "real life" status here yet.  Something with more of a defined routine and place in the world.  I am starting to look for a job and I think that will help things a good bit.  Working in London made me feel much more connected and a part of that society than anything else did, and I'm looking forward to that same interaction here in NYC.  

New York is a great city, I really am excited to be here as a resident and not just a visitor.  There is such  rich layer of experience that you get from living in a city as opposed to just passing through.  I love it, but...  of course I still miss London.  I'm better than I used to be about it, believe me!  I know as my love for NYC grows the pain of missing London will diminish even further.  But until then, just to wallow one last time, here are my top things I miss about it:

1 - Hands down, the ability to travel.  London is perfectly situated as a city from which to leap to all of these other fantastic cities and locales.  What an adventure!  We traveled to more countries last year than I ever really imagined I'd ever do.  I already had the travel bug, it's my favorite thing on earth to do, and I feel it's an addiction that will only get stronger and never go away.  This year won't be as spectacular as last year, travel-wise, but I really enjoyed broadening my travel horizons and can't wait to cross off other must-see places - Istanbul, Petra, Thailand, Australia, Germany, South America, and more Italy!  

2 - London has an excellent pub culture.  NY has really cool bars, lounges and the like, but nothing beats the comfy feel of a sitting by a fire in the pub when it's raining (as it often is) and drinking a pint.  Very friendly places to be, we met a lot of interesting people that way.  Our very last evening in London was spent at our favorite local pub, The Victoria.  Plus, pubs are very dog friendly.  As a dog owner I loved this!  Dogs could be spotted inside the pubs under the chairs of their owners, or sitting in laps sleeping... Grady was very pleased to be included in our pub outings.

3 - Which brings me to my third thing, London is MUCH more dog-friendly than NYC will every hope to be.  Dogs are just a welcome part of society - in pubs, outside on patios, wherever.  I get a bit of the cold shoulder from NYC when it comes to the dog, especially when it comes to green spaces.  There aren't that many green spaces here - yes there's Central Park, but it's a bit far from us and dogs have to always be kept on leashes.  Actually, I think early in the mornings dogs are allowed to go a short time off leash, but realistically I'm not going to travel up there to do that.  Plus, in order to get Grady on a subway, I have to keep him "enclosed in a container".  So I'm supposed to carry his crate?  Don't think so. Grady could roam around for hours in Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens leash-free (all parks are leash-free), running and sniffing and making new friends.  It's definitely where the two of us were happiest together.  Here in NY I've been threatened with getting a ticket for letting Grady wander too close to the grass.  Geez, thanks lady.  I hadn't even done anything wrong, but I wouldn't want you to miss a chance to yell at me!  When I talk about this, people from home always ask me where does he go to the bathroom?  He goes on the concrete.  Poor thing, whenever he catches a glimpse of grass he always pulls on the leash to go that way - in his mind he sees the flashing neon sign of "bathroom!"  Not anymore, little buddy.  

4 - The thing I think I enjoyed most about living in London was the green space - parks everywhere.  Big ones!  Standing in the middle of Hyde Park (which combined with Kensington Gardens is 620 acres),  you can't see the edges or hear the traffic.  It was wonderful, definitely the best of both worlds living in a big city.  And Hyde is just one of several major parks in Central London - close to us there were various parks that add up to almost 1,200 acres of green space.  You can't walk in one direction without hitting a major park at some point.  As opposed to Central Park where I have to take a subway just to get there.  Living close to large parks really allows you to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, to experience all four seasons.  During the summer, the parks really come alive with entertainment and summer celebrations.  It's kind of magical.  

5 - The London tube is much cleaner/nicer/better organized than the subway.  Especially the cleanliness.  The tube stations and trains are much better - I won't go into it but some of the stuff I've seen here is grody.  

Okay, wallowing over.  Officially - I'm not going to let myself do it again, the grieving process needs to end!  Plus, I really do like it here.