Tuesday September 10
C: Today, I woke up in time to see Mikka head off to school in the bright pink top I convinced her to get. She’s way cooler than I was in high school. During the day, I co-worked with my mom on GSAF stuff then went to sit on our gorgeous deck and read. Alaia gave me “On Her Knees: Memoir of a Prayerful Jezebel” years ago as a gift, and I’m finally getting around to reading it! It’s a fascinating reflection on reconstructing after purity culture, sexual ethics and integrity, and sex positivity.
Later, I picked Mikka up from school and had to get a visitor pass to sign her out. The machine was not very intuitive, and I left with a horrendous, pixelated black-and-white photo of my face on a sticker. The same attendance lady from my time at Marshall HS was working. She and I knew each other quite well my senior year when I left school early to get to ballet class in DC. Alas, after all that, it didn’t seem like she recognized me.
Mikka strutted down the hallway and met me in the lobby, where some of my artwork still hangs on the wall after 8 years. She said I looked like I was a student, which I didn’t know whether to take as a compliment or an insult. We hopped in the car (she took the driver’s seat AH) and drove to our safe haven: Target. We needed a little mental health boost after she told me a classmate was bullying her (to this bully: I know your name, I know where you go to school, stay away from my sister B****!!). We got some Tollhouse cookie dough, played with Halloween lawn decor, and smelled candles before heading home.
Later, we made cookies, ate dinner as a family, and settled in to watch the Presidential Debate. Mikka got a bingo card and a worksheet from her Government teacher to fill out for extra credit. The debate was much better than with Biden. Harris was energized and snappy. Trump said some unbelievably racist comments, was hyper focused on defending his crowd sizes, and said the iconic line, “I have concepts of a plan.”
Z: I woke up early on Tuesday morning, hugged Hebe and Luke goodbye, and headed off to Heathrow for my flight home. This was my first time going back to the US in over a year, so I was super excited to be back at home and hang out with my parents. I arrived in DC around 3pm and my dad picked me up from the airport :). My mom went to see a Squeeze concert, so my dad and I ate dinner together and watched the debate.
Wednesday September 11
C: I woke up to the absolutely THRILLING news that after entering a raffle, I won a ticket to the Spurs’ fan forum at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium! I’m going to see Son and Ange talk! AHHH! I immediately called Zoe, who was driving to the dentist, and shared the big news. I’m so excited!!!
Anyway, today was pretty chill. I took Madss on a walk, and he only bit me once. He’s an adorable little menace. Mikka came home and cooked us steak, potatoes, and broccolini, and she, my mom, and I sat to watch Enola Holmes 2, which was a fan favorite. I already watched it before, so I painted a photo I took at Kew Gardens in my sketchbook. Madss kept trying to eat my brushes.
Z: I woke up early to drive to the dentist and finally get me teeth checked for the first time in like 14 months (whoops). The teeth are healthy and clean in case anyone cares. I headed back home and was immediately put to work helping my dad set up our new home alarm system. This ended up being like a four day affair, but after much trial and error it is all set up. At around 4pm my mom and I went out for our daily neighborhood walk. For probably ten years at this point my mom and I walk the same loop of our neighborhood most days at 4pm when I am home, so it was nice to get back to our little routine.
Thursday September 12
C: Mikka had to lug her massive softball bag to school for practice, so I drove her in the morning. We danced along to “Country Girl Shake It For Me” and a medley of her beloved NSYNC bops. Next, I went to a dentist appointment, where I found out I have a cavity :( I think I have the opposite of an oral fixation because I absolutely hate having things poke me in the mouth and especially scratch my teeth. Ick.
Later, I hopped on the metro to DC to reunite with my beloved Wardrobe team mentors at The Washington Ballet! These women have known me since I was 16 and wandered in to become a costume shop assistant. Since then, they’ve hired me onto various projects and have supported me throughout high school, college, and even postgrad life. I brought them hydrangeas, which weirdly thrive in the humid shop air, and chatted with them for hours about life. It was wonderful.
I metroed back home (can I just add that my GOD I miss the Tube, the average wait times for the DC metro are 15 minutes between trains) and dropped my mom off at a work event in Tysons. Then, I turned around to pick Mikka up from practice at school and drove her to Arlington for her travel team’s practice. Then, I turned around again to pick up my mom and bring her to Mikka’s practice, where we sat and watched them drill outfield fly balls, infield plays, and batting strategies. I’m back in the groove of navigating three schedules with one car, but oh it makes me appreciate TfL so much.
Z: I again got up early to really fight that jet lag and drove into McLean for a coffee and chat with my former robotics coach Mrs. Jarratt. We caught up on school, dissertations, family, and friends, giving each other the big one year life update. I then headed back home to continue on this alarm journey. Again at 4pm, my mom and I walked. If you can’t tell, I am not the only creature of habit in this family.
Friday September 13
C: I am in that phase of jetlag where I still get sleepy relatively early at night but also sleep in for ages/wake up at 5am, no in between. But today, I slept in, exhausted from the driving and commuting (even though Mikka literally played 5 hours of softball and my mom was working all day so I really have no excuse). I walked Madss, bought weekend tickets to visit Alaia in Boston and Kasey in NYC in a wild 48 hours of travel around the East Coast, and went on a Target run for milk. As I was parking in the very familiar garage, I started thinking about an alternative life where I lived at home instead of West Hampstead and went on Target runs in my pjs every day rather than to a corner shop and had to pay car insurance instead of a visa surcharge and could watch Mikka play softball every weekend. As much as I love coming home, I love my life in London so very much. I can’t wait to return. But I also love my family and Target very much (in that order). It’s days like this that I sometimes feel guilty for moving so far away, but I’m endlessly grateful to have a family that support’s my biggest dreams. Ok enough with the sappiness!
My mom treated us to her famous overnight French toast and proper American crispy bacon! I’m not even a huge bacon lover, but after being subjected to the thick, overly salty British “bacon,” these bacon strips drizzled with maple syrup tasted like heaven. Mikka came home in a daze, truly exhausted from yesterday, and went to take a nap before my dad came to pick her up. I took Madss out to see my dad, and he nearly ripped my hand off with the leash by sprinting and jumping down our stairs. This boy is too much sometimes. But it was really nice to see my dad for a bit before he and Mikka left! My mom and I spent the evening watching our favorite show, Landscape Artist of the Year (UK) as I bookbound my dissertation for fun.
Z: Friday I spent the morning preparing a delicious pecan pie cheesecake for dessert on Saturday night. I am not entirely sure what else I did…probably just sat around doing basically nothing…aka my favorite thing to do at home.
Saturday September 14
C: I woke up at 5:30am to catch my flight to Boston. My mom kindly drove me to the airport to shave off some travel time and because she is the best. The flight was uneventful, other than the fact that it seemed like everyone was going to a wedding in the city at 4pm that day. I overheard so many conversations between people discussing when they were getting changed (although one guy was already wearing a plaid suit and his friends made fun of him for it getting creased) and whose house they were crashing at.
I beelined for Dunkin when I landed and met Alaia with piping hot coffees. Little old boy Harley was sitting in the back seats, looking as adorable as ever. His elderly Beagle energy was a 180 from Madss puppy sheepdog energy, and it was much appreciated. We hung out at Alaia’s place for a few hours just chatting, and she gifted me with a Prozac sweatshirt! For context, Alaia and Kevin collect niche pharmaceutical merch, including several water-filled computer mice, a water-filled tape dispenser, and (my personal favorite) a clockface with a jaguar from Vicoprofen, a strange collaboration between Vicodin and Ibuprofen. Why? Big pharma probably. So my Prozac sweatshirt was given with much love and solidarity. I love it.
Later, Alaia, Kevin, and I walked around the Blue Hills Reservation hiking trails, choosing a scenic path around the large pond. It was a glorious sunny day, and I loved being surrounded by the trees. It reminded me so much of the arboretum at Conn, and I got nostalgic for the countless walks Zoe, our friends, and I took there. We stumbled upon a tiny little injured chipmunk in the middle of the walk/run/bike trail, and we wanted to move it out of harm's way. However, as we leant over it trying to determine what was the least harmful thing to do, two more mini chipmunks appeared. At first, we thought they were looking for their friend, so we tried to point them in the right direction. But then, they started aggressively chasing Alaia and me down the path. Even when we stopped running, they ran right up to us. It was comical seeing two adult women squeal and run from animals smaller than our palms, but we were not in the mood to deal with animal bites and potential infections. Luckily, bites were avoided and chipmunks were relocated, and we had a leisurely stroll throughout the rest of the woods. Later, we drank the iconic Downeast Cider and introduced Kevin to Ted Lasso, my comfort show.
Z: I bopped around doing random things around the house all day and helped my mom prepare dinner. Our family friends and one of my childhood besties, Jamie, came over for dinner and it was lovely to catch up with everyone. We reminisced on old memories and shared new life updates. (J, love you, miss you, come visit soon!)
Sunday September 15
C: Alaia drove me to South Station in Boston to catch my train to NYC. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but it was so nice to finally see her, Kevin, and Harley in their cozy little home. I got on my train with 3 minutes to spare and snagged a window seat for the ride. I forgot how nice Amtrak is, with big seats, lots of leg room, and outlets everywhere. If only the US valued high speed rail and train networks. Anyway, we stopped by New London, CT aka this blog’s namesake! It was super nostalgic to see our old stomping grounds, from the Coast Guard Academy to main street to the Thames (thaymes) River. I don’t miss Conn much, but I miss the memories we made there.
Finally, after 5 hours (apparently there was a fire under a bridge somewhere that delayed us by 45 minutes), I made it to the Big Apple! I had some reverse culture shock hearing how “Moynihan Station” was pronounced (get me back to my Tiddlesworths and Chap-upon-Avons), but that was quickly banished when I saw Kasey!!! She is one of my oldest friends and longtime long-distance bestie ever since I graduated high school. She’s now a badass dancer in NYC, and I relearned that she was literally born in London and lived there for 2 years. So maybe she planted the London seed way back when. We bought matching gold necklaces (I got a ladybug duh and she got a “FEMINIST” necklace duh), then we sat and ate the most delicious temaki.
Later, we took the subway to her dorm, where we watched dance videos, chatted about life, and basically love fested. We ate banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery (YUM) until it was time for me to depart. Just four hours in the city flew by, and I miss her already. New York is so much more overstimulating than London, and I see why she thrives here. But get me back to my old city! I hopped back on Amtrak and rode another 4 hours home.
Z: I have no memory of this day. I’m sure I had fun.
Monday September 16
C: I started the day with a chilled glass of Baja Blast, which I fear I loved. It’s probably for the best I can’t get it in London or else I would be addicted. I took Madss on a walk, during which he got really mad at me for not letting him chase a car and ended up ripping a hole in my favorite Washington Football Team shirt from Wales :( What a toddler. Anyway, I picked Mikka up from school and she helped me pick an outfit for dinner with the Dubeliers later. I only packed athleisure clothes from London and most of them were dirty, so I raided Mikka’s closet. Oh how the tables turn. She set me up in a cute pink fit and sent me off to dine with my favorite second family!
Z: I think I puttered around all day and again helped with the alarm system. There was lots of drilling screws into the ceiling and testing fire alarms. I believe we also tested the alarm system, which entailed me standing outside with the phone and my dad running around the house trying to set off the alarms. Unsurprisingly this was hilarious.
My parents and I then drove to pick up Catja for dinner at my ALL TIME FAVORITE restaurant, Sweetwater Tavern. My family has been to this restaurant hundreds of times and it is one of the few restaurants I will go to without an argument about how I don’t want to leave the house. They have the best bread and butter. I did accidentally leave my extra bread at the restaurant, which was extremely sad.
We returned home and while I was watching tv in my bedroom my dad knocked on my door to ask me if I would climb the ladder if he put it on top of the kitchen counter in order to reach the sky lights. I of course said that is the worst idea I have ever heard and asked why on earth he would need an alarm for the sky lights. He then very quickly responded “ninjas.” He elaborated saying he was very concerned about the potential of someone sending ninjas to bread into the house. This however was not the punchline to the joke…my dad leaves the room and moments later slowly pushes open the door quietly singing “everybody was kung fu fightinggggg.” Safe to say I had quite the laugh.
Tuesday September 17
C: I had my much anticipated interview today! It was for a Costume Admin position with the ROYAL OPERA HOUSE!!! Dream job. The interview went well, but I got the sense that they were looking for someone with more experience in bookkeeping and finances. And as much as I am happy and willing to learn, finances are by no means my forte. Alas. The job hunt continues.
Later, I hung out with Mikka on the couch mindlessly scrolling on our phones and watching the pouring rain outside. She had practice later that night, and we picked up a yummy Chipotle dinner for after. Apparently I missed her hitting an out-of-the-park homer which is very upsetting.
Z: I spent the morning baking cupcakes for my mom’s office party for our friend Charde’s wedding. Not to brag, but they turned out fantastic. I then drove over to Fairfax to meet Catja and Hannah for a quick lunch. We caught up about Hannah’s new job and what’s coming up in London.
My mom and I went out for a walk even though it was raining…I took a photo because my mom was wearing two different shoes…
Wednesday September 18
C: Started out the day driving Mikka to school, during which she took a lovely photo of me pulling up next to a Tesla Cybertruck aka the ugliest car to ever exist. While she was at school and my mom was working, Madss and I watched several hours of My Lady Jane, a show that hooked me in and promptly ditched me when I found out it wasn’t renewed for a second season. UGH.
Later, I went to meet up with my beloved former contemporary dance teacher, Mimmo! I walked back into my old TWSB studios, which is always surreal. I spent nearly every day of my life for 3 years here, and now I visit maybe twice a year. Mimmo greeted me with the biggest hug and many kisses on my cheek. He started hyping me up to his bewildered students, listing my resume and post-TWSB success and saying that I’ve interviewed his icon Matthew Bourne (which to be fair I still fangirl about). The dancers gave polite nods and “wows” before packing up and moving onto their next rehearsals. Mimmo and I had a lovely catch up between his rehearsals, and he even got to reunite with my mom and Mikka after! It was a happy reunion. I miss my dance family.
Z: Wednesday was my big day out. My mom and I drove to Falls Church first, where I had my physical. We then stopped off at the nearby coffee shop for some breakfast after my blood test. We drove downtown to my mom’s office, stopping in to drop off our bags and say hi to everyone. I was on a mission this morning to find a great fridge magnet from DC for Hebe. My mom and I wandered around the Mall seeing the monuments and finding some funny little magnets. We spent some time outside the White House as a series of cars pulled in greeted by flags and the military band. We saw the flags of Columbia, Iceland, Botswana, Norway, and Mexico. Your guess is as good as ours on what exactly that event was. We then headed back to my mom’s office for a little office party to celebrate Charde’s upcoming wedding.
Thursday September 19
Z: I met up with Catja in the morning at Target to get some American snacks and sweets to bring back for our friends in the UK. I then headed home to finish the last bits of the alarm system, which included climbing up a very tall ladder in our living room to put up and test the last fire alarm. My mom and I obviously went out for a walk.
After dinner my mom and I drove to Dairy Queen, my one requested activity for my visit home. We picked up three Blizzards (I got the Reece’s Pieces cookie dough which was as good as it sounds) and ate them in the car home. We delivered the third to my dad at home.
C: In the afternoon, I hopped on the metro to make my way towards my dad’s house out west. I got hit with a wave of fatigue and was lulled to sleep by the bouncing of the train cars, and I jolted awake when I finally arrived at Ashburn station, the end of the silver line. My dad picked me up and drove us another 45 minutes to his house in Berryville, nestled in the Appalachian mountains. I was greeted by his two dogs, Miles and Maisy, as we pulled up into the driveway. My stepmother was preparing food in the kitchen, and I plopped on the couch to give Miles all the belly rubs he could want. Later, I met the neighbors down the road when they came over for dinner, and my grandparents also made a trip to complete the dinner party. We talked about all the small town goings-on, all my London adventures, and about all my siblings. I ended the night with a photo from Mikka of her with a pile of ice on her eye. Turns out she tried to catch a pop fly softball in practice and caught it with her face. Silly girl.
Friday September 20
C: My dad recently started a job at a local middle school, and he wanted to show me the classroom he’s told me about over the phone several times. As soon as we walked through the front doors, I met the principal and immediately reverted back to my childhood fear of authority. Then I remembered I was 23 and definitely not in middle school anymore, so I relaxed and just chatted like an adult. Turns out he’s a big Premier League fan, so we swapped opinions about the start to the season, and he rightfully questioned why on earth I support Tottenham.
After meeting several of my dad’s coworkers in the hallway (it was a teacher work day, so everyone was very relaxed without annoying preteens in the halls), I saw his classroom, decorated with his military career certificates and photos from basic training, shelves jam-packed with history books from his personal collection, 24-hour analog clocks (I didn’t even know these existed), and photos of his favorite Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz.
When we drove back home, we took a walk around his big property, looking at his progress on building a fence along the property line and stamping out invasive Spotted Lanternflies. We took a seat at “the quiet place,” a swinging chair and tire swing at the back of the property with my absolute favorite view of the mountains and pastures. I spent many an angsty afternoon back here as a teen, but now I feel at peace.
I packed up to head back home, but I wanted to do one last thing before leaving. I have a weird knack for finding 4 leaf clovers in the front yard, so I crouched down, determined to find one before I left for luck. The best haul I ever got was a few summers ago, when I found several 4 leaf clovers and one 6 leaf clover!! Midnight, their black cat, emerged and started rubbing his back against my leg. Midnight is the most affectionate and sweet cat I’ve ever met, and he always wants head scritches and pets. Unfortunately, as cute as he is, I am very allergic to cats. I’m ok if we’re in the same room now, but if I touch him, it’s game over. Today was game over. I couldn’t resist giving him some love, but even after scrubbing my hands, the hair left on my clothes destroyed me. Ah well. I finally found a 4 leaf clover and was ready to head back home. Daddy drove me back so we could have more time to chat and so we could see Mikka for a bit.
Z: I spent the day puttering around at home, going for a walk, and just chatting with my parents. We ate one last dinner together and I watched a bit of tv with my dad before I headed off to the airport for my flight back to London. My flight was delayed two hours on the tarmac which was rough, but I made it back in one piece.
Saturday September 21
C: My mom surprised Mikka and me with chocolate crepes for breakfast to mark my final day at home. They were delicious! We found out it was National Dance Day and decided to take a trip to the Kennedy Center so I could finally see The Reach, their new extension full of studios and creative spaces. I spent so much of my teens in the Kennedy Center, dancing in their Master Class series and training at summer programs in the historic walls, so it was a nice homecoming. The Reach was so cool! I’m jealous that it wasn’t built when I was still dancing here, because the facilities are some of the best I’ve ever seen.
After walking around the rooftop terrace and exploring a new exhibit on the Kennedy family inside, we drove to Georgetown to have a picnic in the National Cathedral gardens, where my mom and Mikka spent hours waiting for Viggo and me when we had dance classes and rehearsals. It is one of our favorite places ever, and it really feels like home, especially with a bucket of fried chicken, a baguette, and cheese from Safeway. It was the perfect final meal before I left. Mikka drove us to the airport, then it was time to say goodbye. I managed to give my farewells without crying, and I made my way to my gate to prepare for a rough 24 hours of cramping legs, no sleep, and dehydration.
Sunday September 22
C: I arrived at Heathrow at 6am having gotten maybe 45 minutes of sleep. I wasn’t feeling too rough yet, so after breezing through passport control and customs, I promptly got a mocha at Costa and hopped on the Tube, remembering to go to our new flat and not Dollis Hill. On the train, an adorable little girl sat across from me and started making faces at me. I smiled back and took out my earbuds to say hi. She loved having me as a captive audience, so she started showing off her sort of violent, head banging dance moves, which her adult was amused by even though she got the occasional elbow to the face. The girl then picked up her bunny toy and started having it climb up the seats, dance aggressively, and swing around her head like helicopter blades. At one point, I thought she had finished her show, so I popped my earbuds back in to listen to A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (I’m back in my Hunger Games obsession woo!). Then, an older lady who sat next to me gently tapped my arm and said, “She wants to show you something.” I looked across from me and saw a toothy grin, and the poor bunny rabbit was bouncing up and down yet again. Unfortunately, I had to get off at Green Park, so I bid my farewell to the little girl and her adult, and switched trains with a big smile on my face.
When I finally got to West Hampstead and started walking home, I surprisingly bumped into Hebe and Zoe at the bus stop, off to pick up a coffee table from Facebook Marketplace. At this point, wet from the dreary weather, exhausted, and craving a shower, I told them I’d see them later and dragged myself to our new home, where I remembered that I hadn’t had time to unpack my luggage from moving before I flew home. Then, the battle to stay awake began.
Z: Hebe and I set up our new coffee table, constantly questioning if it was too big for the space. We have decided it is the perfect size. Ethan popped by for some cookies and tea in between his study sessions. We spent the rest of the day watching The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which is truly incredible tv. We have a real love hate relationship with the show so far. These women really just love to say the stupidest things.
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