Experiencing Britain again through the eyes of American tourists

This summer we had visitors from the States who experienced London and the UK for the first time. How fun for them! I got the feeling they absolutely loved it as they were up early each day seeing the sights and talking to (nearly) everyone they saw. They stayed with us for part of the time and also visited Oxford and Stonehenge. We thoroughly enjoyed showing them around, talking about the differences between British and American culture AND catching up!! It had been over 15 years since we last saw each other. It was thrilling to be able to show friends around my ‘adopted’ country which I now feel proud of.

It was also a lot of fun for me personally, experiencing their appreciation of the history here. That’s something that most of the people I know here take for granted simply because they are used to it all. I still am in awe of the thatched roofed houses and all the beautiful English countryside and the stone walls and the really really old pubs and their strange names. I have to admit though, it did make me feel a tiny bit homesick. Not in a horrible way though, just reminded me what I’m missing out on and the people I haven’t seen for years. It was fabulous catching up on news from ‘home’ and learning about some of the changes and developments that have happened in schools. Makes me want to send my children to University in the States though which could be tricky!

Here we all are having a delicious afternoon tea at Bill’s in London.

Jonah with sisters Mary Garner and Eva

Theresa and me on Worthing pier. It was a blustery day and they couldn’t believe how cold it was for August!

It was sad to say goodbye after such an amazing time with them. We all loved Theresa and Mary Garner’s fresh and enthusiastic approach to life which was inspirational and infectious. I think that is something I truly miss about America and Americans – that unfaltering optimism and energy that people have and instill in others.

We wish Theresa and Mary Garner all the very best over the next 4 months on their ocean journey with Semester at Sea. I hadn’t heard of this incredible program before and now that I have, I want to spread the word about it. Basically, University students or gap year students spend a semester on board a ship, take all their classes on board, get to explore lots of different countries all around the world and have a once in a lifetime experience. Sounds amazing and I really wanted to go with them when I dropped them off at Southampton port as they got ready to board the MV Explorer. If you have kids looking for something to do for their gap year or are interested in something like this while they are at Uni, then definitely check out Semester at Sea.

Bon Voyage!

Linked to the My Global Life Link-Up at SmallPlanetStudio.com

******************
Meghan Peterson Fenn is the author of Bringing Up Brits and co-author of Inspiring Global Entrepreneurs with Heidi Mulligan Walker. Meghan is also the Director and Chief Designer at her own design company, White Ochre Design Ltd. And, she is an award winning expat blogger.