Home is Where Your Heart Is

“I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find
myself.”
--Maya Angelou

I am back from the Motherland, have been since October 10. It has been a long two weeks. The jet lag has kicked my butt.

It was a great trip. I met many wonderful people and learned that direct flights from Paris to Salt Lake City aren't made for me. Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure that no country likes France, and the French don't like me. At least not the lady I encountered on the airplane.

Kary picked me up from the airport and made sure that I didn't go to sleep. Saturday we went to the Utah Symphony with Kary's friend Justin, and his friend April. Really fun!

Since then I've been trying to play catch up at work and spending a ton of time Kary. The boys were in North Carolina last week, which I was bummed about. It's been 5 weeks since I've had them for the weekend, but tomorrow I get them...for the whole weekend! Yay! I think a trip to the corn maze and pumpkin patch are in order on Saturday. We shall see.

Sleep is NOT Overrated!

"No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap."

--Carrie Snow

So I think the time change has finally caught up to me. I really didn't need to do any training today. My eyelids got really heavy. So I did everything I could to occupy myself so that I didn't fall asleep. It worked for a while. Then I busted out my travel pillow and slid under my desk, curled up into the fetal position, put my jacket over head and closed my eyes. I had a wonderful nap. When I finally emerged from my hideout, I was giggled at. Hayley and Iain (the two people I've been working with) had taken everyone who walked by and displayed me to the whole office!

What's for Tea?

"I don't think America will have really made it until we have
our own salad dressing. Until then we're stuck behind the French,
Italians, Russians and Caesarians."
--Pat McNelis

Today's lesson is on meal names.
Breakfast=Breakfast
Lunch=Dinner
Dinner=Tea

I guess you are "posh" if you say lunch and dinner rather than dinner and tea. I have decided that I am posh. I have also decided that the food issues are only present in Carlisle. I have had some okay meals in Durham, but nothing as bad as in Carlisle. I have been very impressed. Overall, the service in restaurants here is lacking--you are lucky to get your check, let alone your glass of tap water refilled.

So, I am down to the last couple of days on my trip. It has definitely been an adventure. I have met so many great people. I've learned about lawn mower racing, the local eateries, the train system, the 3 million sheep (I know, they have multiplied and replenished again! There are still some to name...just £1). I have seen some of the most beautiful land and scenery here. Most of all, I have learned that long-term travel by myself is no longer something I fancy. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given--to be trusted with training my UK peers. I would do it again, for the experience, but I miss being with the boys and Kary.

Oh, to be a Nomad

“Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

On Sunday Kary gave me a wake up call which was so nice of him! I then packed up and started on my journey to the east coast. The distance between Carlisle and Newcastle is about 50 miles. So add a few more miles to that and that is the width of Northern England (at least at this parallel)! The train ride was relaxing. The train is a great way to travel here as a visitor. It was the first clear day in a week and it was beautiful! Thousands of sheep, lots of cows, a few horses and a donkey-all scattered along the countryside. I tried to take some pictures but the train was moving too fast for the camera to focus. Sorry!

When I got to Durham, I walked from the train station to the hotel. I didn't think there would be so many people out...I guess I am just used to Sunday in Utah. Upon checking into the hotel, they had a note saying that I had requested the same room I had my first night in the country. I don't remember doing that, but I wasn't going to complain about getting a suite! The room wasn't ready yet so I left my bags and went out exploring. I found a cafe that had a killer chicken pot pie. I sat there and admired the wonderful weather while eating my wonderful American food. After I ate, I walked around the village. It is a beautiful place.

Yesterday, Monday, I spent my first day in the Sunderland area. It is a beautiful part of the country. This area is a bit more populated than Carlisle, with similar scenery.

Today, I am in Stockton-on-Tees which is near Middlesbrough (spelling?). I am working out of the Head Office today. The drive took about an hour, it's about 36 miles from Durham where I am staying. Don't worry, I didn't drive myself. Driving is not something I think I would EVER try here. That is like writing your own death certificate.

Last night was the best night so far. I went to dinner with two other company employees. We laughed all night. They have known each other for almost 10 years and have had many travelling adventures together. Because of that, they told me some of their best stories. They are hilarious when they are together! My meal last night was pretty tasty. Pot Roast with potatoes. Then we all got a dessert--Chocolate Truffle. Oh my. Divine.

I don't have any new pictures today, I might be able to upload some tomorrow. Until then.

Rain? What Rain?

Today I went to the Lakes District in Cumbria County. Beautiful area! We stopped in on the village of Keswick. It is similar to the village of Durham, but a little smaller. Here are some pictures of some of the "fells" (mountains) in the area. It poured rain all day which in turn flooded the roads, so if you want to see what the Lakes District looks like when it's sunny, then you can check out the following website. It is a fabulous area!

http://www.golakes.co.uk/places/

People come to the Lakes to "walk" which really means they are hiking. So walking around, you will see about 80% of people in hiking/backpacking gear. I would have LOVED to have had the opportunity to go hiking, but without waterproof gear, it would have proved a little damp. It poured profusely while we were in the village, but it seemed business as usual. There were all sorts of shops to go in to get out of the wet weather. Very eclectic shops, jewellry (yes, that's how they spell jewelry here) shops, clothing shops, but most importantly outdoor sporting goods shops. Not just 2 or 3, but 14! Fourteen shops containing everything needed for hiking and rock climbing. I loved all of the stores! It was fun to see all of the different items you wouldn't normally see in the states. In addition to all the stores, there was a "market" setup in the village square. Vendors selling their wares under tents in the blustery winds and cold rain. It was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. We ate at a "posh" cafe, as Nina called it--I understand that to mean fancy. As we started to drive back to Carlisle, we stopped at a place called Surprise View. I took the three pictures seen below from this point, which was a crag, rock face, drop off (scary!) From top to bottom, if you were to line them up from left to right it would be a panoramic view of the lakes.When we went to leave, the roads were flooded, so we drove the long way home! Yay! I got to see more of the countryside! Nina and I stopped at the co-op (the mini grocery store, fits in a building smaller than a 7-11) to get some stuff to make dinner. Nina cooked myself and her roommate, Adam, some great food! She was so nice and used some spices for me! What a girl!

I am now about to leave the suburbs of Carlisle to head back to my hotel in the middle of the party zone. Last night was crazy! Gary, Nina, Grant and I went out for Indian food, or as they call it, Curry. My first experience with Indian wasn't too bad. I liked some dishes more than others, but over all it was better than the bland food I'd had all week. I got back to my hotel pretty early. So I got ready for bed and flipped through my 20 channels of "rubbish". It got pretty hot in my room and they don't believe in A/C's here so I opened my window. Low and behold, there was American music blaring from ALL 5 pubs on the street I am staying on. Ugh. Throw in the mass of people that traveled into town to get "pissed", and you have a never-ending echo of madness. I fell asleep to the white noise outside...to wake up to a wonderful call from Kary. It's been a great day, although I've been a little distracted. I will post more pictures soon. I am traveling to the east coast tomorrow. Durham Marriott...oh, the plush bed that awaits me.

Baa, Baa Black Sheep

"The man who looks for security, even in the mind, is like a man who would chop off his limbs in order to have artificial ones which will give him no pain or trouble."

--Henry Miller

Today was probably the best day of my trip thus far. I enjoyed being at the branch here in Carlisle--the people that work here are amazing.

When I came to work this morning, I was told that I would probably be staying in Carlisle for the remainder of my trip, however, at lunch time that changed to a possible unknown location--I would be trading with someone at another branch. But by 5pm I was given the opportunity to choose my own destiny. I can stay here or go to Sunderland on the Northeast coast--the original location I was to be at for the full 2 weeks. So, after a few minutes thinking and pondering out loud, I decided that I wanted a change in scenery. Of course I did NOT take into account the plush Marriott that awaited me in Durham (that was already pre-paid, an arm and a leg, to be exact), just south of Sunderland. Nor did I take into account that I would get to see the other side of the country ;). So there you have it. The Northeast coast it is.

I am going to the Lakes District tomorrow with Nina, one of the girls from the branch here. She will be my tour guide. I am sooo excited. This will be the only trip I've taken away from the hotel besides the one I make to work everyday. We are going for a walk in the "mountains". Yay! I have been dying for some opportunities to take some pictures of the natural scenery!

Here are some facts about Carlisle:
Carlisle is home to a church parrish that U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson's grandfather was the pastor of. Carlise has a castle (who knew?). I'm pretty sure there is only a hand full of "proper" restaurants here, the rest are pubs--a wanna-be restaurant with a bar the length of the entire building. Nothing is open past "half five" (5:30pm) except for on Thursday, when places are open until 7:00pm. I am staying on the rowdiest street in town. They will even close the entire street down at 9pm tonight so that everyone can run around drunk and not have to worry about getting hit by a car. Speaking of cars, it's probably the whole country, but it's not like America here where the pedestrian has the right of way, NO, if you so much as put a toe on the street you are fair game! ALWAYS LOOK RIGHT FIRST! Betting stores and dedicated slot machine facilities (yes, in different store fronts) are all over the place here. Other than all that, Carlisle and the surrounding areas have a population of approximately 100, 000 people and about 2 million sheep. I know I said 1 million sheep and I had named them all, but it seems that they have multiplied and replenished the stock two fold while I was here. I haven't named any of the new 1 million so if you would like in on the fun, I am currently starting a non-profit, called "Name the Carlisle Sheep". And for just £1, you too can adopt and name your own cute, little sheep! Send funds via Paypal or by mail, addressed to Jen Robinson. I mean "Name the Carlisle Sheep Fund".

Language Lessons and Customs

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old familiar pillow."
--Lin Yutang

So, yes. I am home sick. I don't think I have ever been home sick while traveling by myself before. I am enjoying the experiences I am having, and I adore the people I've met, but there is something to be said for the warm faces and love you feel from those you see on a regular basis at home.

I am going to be multi-lingual when I return home. At least that's what I am being told by those I've been training this week. The dialect(s) here, on the Northwest coast, are completely different from those in Sunderland, on the Northeast coast. Thus, I will be learning a new language next week. But for now these are some of the things I have observed/learned:

Language Lesson (you may already know some of these):
Lift=Elevator
Laurie=Truck, as in big rig
Pissed=Drunk
Sick=Bored
Ill=Sick
Mountains=Hills (well, that's my interpretation especially when they pointed the "mountains" out to me...900' above sea level?)
Mate=Friend
Cheers=Goodbye
Tara (roll the 'r' with a proper English 'a')=Goodbye
Me=My (as in "I love me mom and dad")
Over the Moon=Excited, elated
Frock=Dress
Bloke=Man, guy

Customs:
When I arrive to work with my two carpool buddies, the office manager offers to get each of us tea or coffee, and in my case, hot chocolate. I've never been offered a hot drink so many times my whole life, let alone one day! This occurs throughout the day by each member of the staff. Whoa!

Cars:
I'd guess that 85% of all the cars I've seen are about the size of a Geo Metro. They have all sorts of brands as well. Ford, Fiat, Audi, Smart Car, BMW, Honda, Toyota, Peugeot (don't think I spelled that one right...) and others I haven't quite figured out yet. Even the brands we are familiar with in America have cars that are smaller than those offered in the U.S. I honestly wouldn't feel safe in anything this size in the U.S. though. Not with all the B.M.W.'s (Big Mormon Wagons) or M.A.V.'s ( Mormon Assault Vehicles). With gas or diesel at hovering at about £10 gallon, I totally understand the reasoning behind the smaller vehicle though. About 70% of the £10 is a tax imposed by the UK. Ahh!! And we think we have it bad! These people get taxed for EVERYTHING!

Scenery:
The scenery is beautiful. I haven't seen a personal garden/yard that is overgrown yet, but do know, that anything not on personal property could cause you to wish you had your own personal Edward Scissorhands with you on your trip! Overgrown is an understatement! Pretty. Pretty overgrown. I still think it is wonderful though. Everything is green, just like San Diego. But don't anyone worry. I won't be moving here. Ever. Period.

Me ? Escape? Why, yes, I would love to

"Only a life lived for others is a life worth living."
--Albert Einstein

I don't have any good stories from the Motherland to report at the end of this day, except that I did finally have a good meal. Meatballs and linguine. Mmm. Oh yeah, and when I left that pub I had about 40 people looking at me like I was an idiot--I had exited through the fire escape doors. How was I to know!?! The doors only said "PUSH TO OPEN". Hmm. Correct me if I am wrong but as long as it says that, you would think it would be proper to do just that? Oh well. I didn't set the alarms off and there were no fire engines that came barreling down the road followed by police. So the world didn't end because a chick from the states doesn't understand English english.

So I was thinking about what to write but didn't really have anything to share. However, I got to thinking about a concert Kary volunteered at a couple weeks ago at Thanksgiving Point (cool place if you've never been there before I highly recommend it--if you get a membership you can frolic through the gardens WHENEVER you want--at least that's what Kary claims). Peter Breinholt was the artist. I quite enjoyed the music he and his band performed. Dad--he sounds sort of like Paul Simon! Acoustic guitars, piano, fiddle, mandolin and some others. He sang a song that touched me that night. I don't know what it was, but even with the boys and Kary rolling down the hill and dog piling each other, it made me cry (maybe I was just stressed and sleep deprived?). It's a great song and if you get the chance you should click on the link below to hear it. Well, if you all want to know anything in particular about Carlisle, I would love to see if I can answer your questions. Email me. Leave a comment. Don't call me, I won't answer. It will cost both you and I a fortune ;). Until tomorrow.

What About
By Peter Breinholt

It's been said that to live is to sorrow
It's been said that there's no room for tomorrow
So men stand there and stare at the twilight
And they work out each day as it seems right

Oh I knew you would come
So I say Hallelujah my love
And I think now
All this time has been
On this road

And what about
All the September moons
And what about
All the flowers in June
And what about
All the times that I sit here and wonder

And I could be wrong
For believing this way
And I could be wrong
Every hour of each day
Til I think about
Every moment that I can remember

And they say that to silence is worth gold
And they say every young man must grow old
So we work and we reason our times
Still it's quiet all around here at night

Oh I knew this would be and I say
There is so much to see
And I think now
All this time has been passing by

And what about
All the mountains in spring
And what about
All the choirs that sing
And what about
Every mother that holds a new child

And I think about
All the times as a child
When I couldn't keep
From laughing out loud
And to catch myself
I would go out and stay there a while
All this could have passed me by
Standing lonely all this while

And what about
Every wide open field
And what about
All the wind that we feel
And what about
Every holiday song in a small town

And what about
Every child that sleeps
And what about
Every quiet blue sea
And what about
Every man that we take up to lay down

And what about
All the September moons
And what about
All the flowers in June
And what about
Every moment that I can remember

And I could be wrong
For believing this way
And I could be wrong
Every hour of each day
And I think about
All the times that I sit here and wonder
All the times that I sit here and wonder

http://store.peterbreinholt.com/viewalbum.php?albumid=20