A year. A year has gone by. WHAT?!?!!!

The mister and I have been here over a year now. Amazing, how the time disappears into some kind of void. I look back at all the chaos that's happened... I quit smoking. I joined a gym. We moved house (twice).We're about to move again. We bought a car. We bought a boat. I had a job. I lost a job. I partied heavily (not as a result of all this, just because so many people here do.). I bought too many shoes.

I think I've made my point. And yet, I still have so many stories ahead of me, so many that are developing, so many layers to these stories. So, to be brief, I'll just make a list.

Here are the things that I've observed along the way:

The British really, truly, cannot walk without crashing into people- I suspect that it's some of some kind of depth-perception disorder.

The food here is amazing- so much so, that due to a lack of additives and sugar in their food, I have successfully avoided sensitive teeth and cavities (which has always been a problem for me).

I've gotten used to the weather- and my complexion has gotten better as a result of not being fried by the sun. It also makes me appreciate sunny days much more. They're like gold dust.

The party scene is a bit too much for me, and I finally feel that it's not boring and nerdy to say that, and it's okay to go home at 11.

I live in a country with historic castles and 16th century churches right on my doorstep, and I've found the magic in that.

Figuring out roads and addresses wasn't that much harder than the NYC grid system.

Girls here start idealizing, at a young age: orange tan, pancake makeup and fake boobs. Though I'm sure the opposite sex wouldn't complain about the boobs.

The cobblestones, bumps in the pavement, ridges in the road are a nightmare for any heel height. Flats are necessary.

Scarves are a must. Actually, let me rephrase that: anything that is a light layer that you can take on or take off, as well as an umbrella and gloves, are MUSTS for this schizophrenic weather.

People take many more risks with fashion here, which makes it an amazing country to people-watch.

The GAP is fantastic over here for cheap, but well-cut and flattering styles. WAY different than in the US.

Having a car is almost a necessity- central London can feel really claustrophobic sometimes, and it's heaven to be able to escape to the country for the weekend.

Everything is expensive here, and it's easy to spend too much money.

Pubs are lovely, cozy little corners to hide in on a rainy evening, and no one pushes you out if you've been there for 4 hours.

A mews house is my dream to own someday. Like the real estate equivalent of a box of chocolates.

People tend to keep themselves in their own circle of friends- it's hard to be included, even if you're the spouse.

People work hard here, but they play even harder, in order to "de-stress" for killing themselves at work.

Men here are interesting to watch: they tend to "work" their politeness/shyness and know that it intrigues women if they're not too forward, which, as a result, makes them seem charming and a bit naughty. They know exactly what they're doing, even if they profess not to.

Women, on the other hand, are much more forward here, they tend to drink with the boys a lot more, and seem to flirt much more openly.

I've noticed that I stand out here: I'm tall, bony, I dress in stripes and leggings, hair in a ponytail, very tomboyish. And with the amount of estrogen that these women are throwing around, I actually like that I'm the nerdy girl on the outside looking in sometimes.

I miss my family so much, and the distance makes me take them for granted a lot less.

It DID take me over a full year to feel like I finally fit in and be my own, independent, self-confident self. And that's pretty great.