I moved to Plymouth England over 5 years ago with my English partner who, after 10 years consulting in the US, returned to academia as a University senior lecturer. My two kids were in University themselves, their father was still in the US, and theoretically I could leave everything behind and start anew in another country. No empty nester me! Nope – I was going to fly the coop as well and have my own adventure.
Well I have!
My anchors here, besides my partner, are the new friends I have made who are mainly small business owners. Through them I am learning how to navigate social and business worlds in this country. This is the stuff that is not so readily captured in popular media. And it is in part their stories I’ll share, because their lives have now become part of mine…
This blog is also about the delights and trials of learning a new country – one that we Americans think we already know from literature and pop culture, since we have all read ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’, watched ‘Notting Hill’, ‘Sherlock’, and ‘Downton Abbey’, to name a few.
With all those cultural references swimming around in my brain, reality has had to fight hard for space. I’ve been lucky to have an English partner who translates some terms and practices for me, although he is sometimes as adrift as me, having also lived out of the country for 10 years. (We did a pub quiz once and completely botched the cultural references section because, for example, we didn’t know the name of the former prime minister’s dog.)
And speaking of dogs, have I told you about my Plymouth friend who started the fabulous business ‘Doggy Devon’? Well, we better begin…!
Posted: 12th Aug 2016
The National Fireworks Championships are coming up next week in Plymouth, and so to get in the spirit of fireworks, I thought I would…read more.
Posted: 8th Jul 2016
Today I am thinking mostly about goings, as today is the last day for one of our members in the coworking space who…read more.
Posted: 5th Jul 2016
One of my favourite delights of living in Britain is visiting National Trust properties. We buy an annual pass, and have explored almost every…read more.
Posted: 24th Jun 2016
In this instance, I am not talking about the experts who are academically smart or business clever or those who are self-proclaimed. I’m…read more.
Posted: 17th Jun 2016
We recently spent a weekend in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales attending a wonderful Wedstival (imagine a country wedding crossed with…read more.
Posted: 2nd Mar 2016
Spring is the time of year when the days are noticeably longer, we get a bit more sun, and announcements for outdoor activities start to…read more.
Posted: 12th Feb 2016
I got to put my own words for creating a personalised way to travel into practice recently as we headed to New York City for…read more.
Posted: 21st Jan 2016
Earlier I posted about the ways Americans travel that make me crazy (link here). The main point was that it is often in a hurry,…read more.
Posted: 19th Jan 2016
We don’t get throngs of American tourists in Plymouth (yet!), so i tend to forget that Americans can behave very distinctively when travelling…read more.
This is the link to Lizzy's fabulous new shop Make at 140 Vauxhall St., and where you can find the lovely buttons from Funky Poppy!
Most of my favourite events have started at the Treasury, and many of them never made it any further! Delicious food, great drinks, and wonderful staff. I always feel welcome and at home here.
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Happy Wayfaring!
-Sabrina
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