Thanks MOM!

I am missing my turkey and pumpkin pie! No Thanksgiving for me, which is okay, I have to make up from the over-eating I did when mom was here.

I just said good-bye to my mom, who had been staying with me since Sunday (Oct.3). It was a real treat to have her and Rod here.
Another thing to add to my things learned;

• It is so easy to take for granted the things our parents do for us. It isn't until a person has to go without, they truly learn to appreciate it more. Thank God, I am fortunate to still have my mom here to spoil me!

I now have soup in my freezer, cookies baked and more groceries than I have had the entire time I have been here. My bathroom is a little more purple, thanks to the new bath mats. I have a picture in my kitchen and a blossoming plant on my kitchen table. I am not sure mom was thinking about the fact that I can't bring all of this home with me. She and I are too similar, we just buy things that will make us happy not really thinking of the long term.

While they were here we went out to eat a few times, drank beer in a few pubs and made some really good homemade meals. Both Rod and my mom love my little town, which makes me feel more settled. They spent a couple of days while I was working touring around and shopping. They really like my flat, except Rod isn't too keen on not having a tv.

I loved being able to come home after work and have people here to talk to, to vent to and to describe my day to. Unfortunately, I learned quickly that my mom (being a mom), offered to stay behind and help me move back home. She is having difficulties envisioning her daughter at the type of school I am at and she wants to protect me. She offered on a really bad day, I almost considered it!

We went to London on Friday. It was my first time in the big city. We saw the play Jersey Boys and it was fabulous. The theatre itself was old and beautiful. I felt like a rich person being able to experience something like this! After the show we walked onto the streets. Holy **** were there a lot of people. This was not my favourite part. I am not too big on crowds like that. Especially in a place I know nothing about. We were able to go for some munchies at TGIF's (an American restaurant). So I made sure I had chicken wings, potato skins and nachos. So good! On Saturday we toured around a little. Unfortunately, we didn't have tons of time as they were leaving to Manchester so they could catch their flight home. I will be going back at some point (definitely not alone) to see more of the tourist places (Mom and Rod had already done them, so there wasn't a point on repeating).

We parted ways at the tube station, mom and Rod heading to their train in one direction and me heading in another direction to come home. Of course there were tears, and that feeling of being alone all over again. But it wasn't until I was on the train home that I truly felt alone. There was work being done on the train that goes back to my town, so I was to get off at this other station and take a bus. I thought no problem. Until I realized there were two stops with the same name, the second having "parkway" added to it. So I assumed I would get off there. Well when I did, it was dark and deserted with no signs of any cabs, or buses. I stood on the platform and laughed. This was great! I had to wait 40 minutes until the next train in the middle of nowhere in the dark. Instead of taking 1 hour to get home from London it took 3. And the learning continues!

I am very lucky that I don't have to wait a long time before my next visitor. A couple of weeks and my friend from Calgary will be here. We are off to Italy for 7 days as it is half term break here. We will be taking a train from London (hopefully I can find the station) and spending one night in Zurich. The next day we depart by train to Venice for two nights. Then off to Florence for 2 nights and ending in Rome for 2 nights. We will fly back to London from Rome. I am extremely excited as travelling was one of the main reasons for this journey.

Happy Thanksgiving!