Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Transatlantically Again Alphabetically


We're off tonight, dear readers!  Jon and I will head to Dulles straight after work to fly to England and I'm so excited.  My visit in August was full of complicated emotions (in part due to the continued uncertainty of our visa process but also because I let the stress and frustration of my lost luggage overwhelm the trip) and I'm beyond ready to relax and just enjoy spending time with our friends and family in London and Suffolk.

We're flying to Heathrow earlier than necessary for Christmas because one of Jon's childhood chums is getting married on Saturday, so it'll be a blast to start off our holiday celebrating their wedding with that crowd.  Beyond that, our dance cards are already pretty full!  We'll be in London for nine days and then will take the train to Suffolk to spend Christmas week with my in-laws; Jon and I have been throwing out ideas for outings and adventures since he moved over.  Let's go through them alphabetically!

Arriving with hearts full of warmth and Christmas cheer*
Baby - Jon's godson was born in late August and I can't wait to meet him!
Christmas lights all over town
Drinking pints in warm cozy pubs
Early morning runs through the heath in Suffolk
Fighting the crowds on Oxford Street
Gimel! (We'll be doing a Hanukkah night in Suffolk, and that's the winning letter on the dreidel.)
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Ice Skating at Somerset House, the Tower of London, or the Natural History Museum
Joking around with Jon's former flatmates (and our hosts for the first weekend)
Keeping track of my Weight Watchers PlusPoints - wish me luck
Listening to my friend Christine's concert with Siglo de Oro in Hampstead
Meeting up with old friends
National Gallery to see the Rembrandt show
Overly emotional, obviously
Presents under the tree (from family members)
Queen's speech on Christmas Day
Remembering to call my dad on his birthday on the 22nd
Stockings at the foot of the bed (brought in the dead of night by Santa)
Thrilled to be attending the opening night of Jon's cousin's theatre debut at Hampstead Theatre
Unbelievably grateful to be part of a family that has such meaningful holiday traditions
Vibrating purrs from Tiffy and Topsy at Jon's parents' house
Wedding bells!
eXclaiming how no one's changed and yet how everyone has
Yelling as we pull crackers at Christmas dinner
Zzzz (napping!) before the Doctor Who and Downton Abby Christmas specials

*I asked Jon to help me draft this post.  I rescinded the offer after "A."

16 comments:

  1. Ah, have the best time! Weddings, new babies, Rembrandt shows, cozy pubs, runs in Suffolk - this is sounding like a pretty amazing Christmas holiday to me.

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  2. Oh man, you are going to have an amazing time! Safe travels, Betsy!

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  3. Sounds utterly delicious!

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  4. The world is tiny! i've met Tamara (the director of the show at the Hampstead) a few times, she's really close with one of Sam's good friends, and she directed him at the past in the Lamb players :)

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  5. What fun! Saw on Instagram that you arrived safely. I like the idea of drinking pints in cozy winter pubs. (I just can't bring myself to write "cosy" hahaha.)

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  6. ah! promise it wasn't an attempt to Anglicize the "z" into an "s" but rather a good old-fashioned mistake :P fixed now!

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  7. I caught up on the new season online just so I'd be up to speed :P

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  8. oh they are! the frost on the ferns, maybe a deer sighting... sigh :)

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  9. the sticky toffy pudding I will have WILL be delicious!

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  10. SUCH a small world! it was a fab show, really.

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  11. YAY thank you! sorry for all the London IG spam :P

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