Home: A Working Definition

As our British Airways plane circled for an extra 45 minutes over London last Thursday, at the end of an already brutally-long 10 hour flight from San Francisco, I took a few minutes to contemplate the word "home." What is home anyway? Is it a place? Is it people? After a two-week solo trip to the West Coast (Bryan had to stay in London and work), spending a total of 14 nights in 8 different beds, in 5 different cities, visiting family and friends from various periods of my life (childhood, college, graduate school), clocking over 25 hours in the air, I am now home in London. But just last week, I was home in California, 5,000 miles from where I sit now, with a vast ocean in between. Home is a tricky thing, I've decided. Webster's Dictionary has several definitions for the word "home" - a place of residence, the social unit formed by a family living together, a familiar or usual setting, or a place of origin. London is my current place of residence, though my family lives in a few different states, all the cities I visited in the past two weeks were familiar, and California is my place of origin. Alas, perhaps home is none of these places, but simply all of these people. Home may well be, as the cliche goes, where the heart is.

So, there you have it. Home is where my heart is - all over the place. Just like my 2-week itinerary - all over the place. I began my trip in Seattle, for a good friend's wedding, where I spent time getting pampered (yay for my first pedicure since October!) and catching up with friends from college. I then flew to San Diego, for a quick four days, attending various medical appointments and visiting with friends, eating meals at my favorite restaurants, and having wine night with the girls, breakfast at the beach, and late night slumber parties with my mom. I ended my trip in Northern California, spending time around the pool with friends, visiting with my grandparents in the Bay Area, having a Morrison family dinner in San Francisco, helping my brother organise his new apartment, and seeing family during an overnight in Sacramento. And of course, throughout the course of the trip, I stocked up on various cosmetics and food (such as Secret brand Deodorant, Healthy Pop Kettle Corn, and Tide stain pens), and spent a couple lovely hours roaming around Target (ahh...bestill my heart) and Trader Joe's with my mom. A few of my favorite pics from the trip (regrettably, my camera did not make it out of my purse for all of my dates with friends and family...so for those of you that I saw, but don't have pictures of, I'm so sorry!)....

The Santa Clara Girls at the Pre-Wedding BBQ Seattle

An Amazing Pic of the BBQ Backdrop (Great pic Tyler!)
At the Wedding Reception
With the Bride
Ladies Wine Night Reunion in San Diego
My Family in San Francisco

Poolside with Dad
Mother Like Daughter
With Jana (Bryan's Mom) & My Mom
My Two Lovely Grandmas

Though the teary-eyed farewells in each city were reminiscent of those we experienced just prior to moving in October, the emotions and discussions were vastly different this time around. A lot has changed in the past 10 months:

• What I lack now in concerns about the unknowns of starting life in a new country, I've made up for in excitement about my work, my life overseas with Bryan, and all of our past and future travels.
• The internal dialogue is different, and I have new answers to my own questions. Turns out we are not crazy for giving up two steady jobs and a familiar, comfortable existence in San Diego. The months of unemployment and challenges of starting over and living abroad have been well outweighed by the sense of accomplishment we now have, turning our dream idea into reality. That being said, the internal dialogue is still running - there are always new questions to answer and mysteries to solve when living abroad.
  
• Your questions are different now too. Though the questions "where will you live?" and "how will you find jobs?" have ceased, new questions have arisen with great fervor and intensity. "Are you ever coming back?" "How have you and Bryan not gone crazy living together in that studio?" "How are things with Bryan?" Yes, we are coming back, eventually (hoping to stay through the end of our visas - September 2012). Yes, living in a studio with someone else does make us crazy at times, but we've learned how to handle it (and have decided to upgrade to a one-bedroom place next month!). And, as for the third question, we're absolutely loving our adventure together abroad, with all its challenges and opportunities, and have successfully survived 10 months together in a studio, which is a massive accomplishment for any relationship... :)
  
• As some of you noticed (and teased me about), my vocabulary has expanded to include some British-English. Yes, vacations are now holidays, lines are now queues, fries are now chips, restrooms are now toilets, and I adore the adjective "lovely." It's all part of learning and leading a new routine in a new country, and being able to communicate effectively with the locals. It won't last forever, but it's a necessity for the time being. Speaking of which, at what point do we become locals? :)
• I am a true Cadbury girl these days (sorry Hershey's), and have a new appreciation for the concept of working hard to live (versus living to work hard). I'm guessing no explanation is required for either of those!
  

But, some things will never change. Girls in San Diego still wear Ugg boots with mini skirts - perhaps I've taken for granted the fact that Londoners tend to dress more weather-appropriate. I suppose four distinct seasons will do that to people. Target still smells the same - that's right, Target has a distinct smell when you walk in the door, something I've just discovered after a 10-month long hiatus (let the withdrawals begin again). Perhaps it's just the first time I've ever walked into a Target, and paused to take a deep breath! Trader Joe's is just as fabulous as I remember - too bad only one bag of baked blue chips could fit in my carry-on bag. Like a fine wine, those will be saved for a special occasion. My place of origin will always be Northern California, regardless of where home is (or isn't). And, most importantly, good friends and family will always be good friends and family, no matter the distance - it just takes more effort to keep in touch. Fortunately, effort is something I'm so eager to give.

Much love, and many, many thanks. Hope to see you on our side of the pond soon!

-Brandina

"Where thou art - that - is Home." ~Emily Dickinson

An Adriatic Retreat

Charming, Romantic, Optimistic, Antiquated but Trendy, Inviting, and Azure

Croatia, for a lack of better words, is simply divine, and certainly fit for a Roman Emperor who once retired amongst its shores. Having just returned from a 5-night holiday in the beautiful Dalmatian islands, off the mainland coast of Croatia, we are slowly readjusting to the busy city life. After all, we spent 5 full days walking and hiking at a leisurely pace, basking in the sun on the rocky Croatian shores, eating local cuisine (fish, cheese, roasted vegetables, gelato), and enjoying the Croatian atmosphere, a fine mixture of terracotta roof tops, ancient Roman walls, palm trees, humid air, and boats of all kinds. Though we brought along a small guide book for good measure, our minimalist goals for this trip involved plenty of rest, relaxation, and sunshine. With the current exchange rate of British Pounds to Croatian Kunes at 8:1, we managed to squeeze in professional massages on the Island of Hvar, a bit of intense bargain shopping/bartering with the locals, and rented lounge chairs on the rocky beaches. We spent our 5 nights in 3 different cities, commuting via ferry and excursion boats, and found each to have its own unique ambiance....

Split, Croatian Mainland

Home to Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, an international airport, and a well-serviced ferry harbour, Split is a bustling seaside town, often the entry and exit point for those visiting nearby Dalmatian islands (like us). It features several markets within the still-standing palace walls, where locals sell just about everything you can imagine, from produce, to jewelery, to handmade crafts. Bordering the harbour is a long, pedestrian boardwalk, laced with seaside cafes, dozens of white wooden benches for the devoted people-watchers, amateur entertainers, and plenty of shops:

Hvar Town, Island of Hvar

A short one-hour ferry ride from Split is Hvar Town, complete with the steep hills of Lisbon, spiced with the small-town charm of Cinque Terre, and boasting a daily routine possibly like that of Miami Beach - settled and sunny by day, vibrant and wild by night. Hvar Town smells of sea salt, sunscreen, and abundant surrounding lavender farms, and revolves around the bustling center square. Despite a lack of sandy beaches, the rugged and rocky coastline is more than suitable for afternoons of reading in the heat, combined with refreshing dips into the Adriatic. We spent our evenings walking along the water and looking for the local food hubs, one of which had no written menu, serving up two simple options of either the local fish or meat platter, furnished with rustic barrel tables. After dinner, thanks to some advice from our Kiwi friends, Ben and Louise, we found a local spot called the Jazz Bar, where we had a great time with both locals and fellow travelers. The bartender introduced us to locally-made cherry brandy, and without thinking twice, gave Bryan the bar's last Ozujsko Croatian beer pint glass as a souvenir for his collection. Hvar Town is overflowing with all things contrasting - weathered fishing boats and multimillion-dollar yachts, budget backpackers and elite party-goers, small hostels and expensive resorts, pebble beaches and rocky cliffs, sea-level attractions and aerial views from the town's hilltop castle. A simultaneous natural sea of blue water, and man-made sea of orange rooftops. Far from clashing, however, the contrasting features of this town lend to its inherent charm.

At sea-level....

Above and beyond....

Bol, Island of Brac

A longer two hour trip from Hvar Town (quicker by speedboat), Bol is most well-known for Zlatni Rat beach, a popular pebble beach that jets out into the sea, while also offering a large, wooded forest area for picnics, games, and shade. Bol seems to be less all-things-contrasting, and a bit more simple. Arriving by boat to Bol's quiet harbour feels a bit like arriving in Cabo San Lucas - the pedestrianized streets are lined with vendors selling children's toys, while fisherman are busy unloading, cooking up, and selling their catch of the day. Some children pass the time dangling their feet in the sea, while others are operating small motor boats throughout the marina. The town is invigorated at night, just like in Hvar, as ferry schedules enable youthful island-hoppers to arrive in Bol during the early evening, dance the night away, and depart for other destinations at 6:30 am. To us, however, Bol was about the simple pleasures - after all, what can possibly compete with a fisherman hauling fresh squid off the boat in tubs, tossing it into a frying vat, sprinkling it with lemon and sea salt, and selling it for less than £4.00 for a heaping plate?

As far as rest, relaxation, and sunshine was concerned - mission accomplished.

-B&B

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." - Ovid

Homeward Bound: #1

A fond farewell to Matt & Nicole, our Aussie friends,
who departed London earlier this week.

A MINI PROFILE

• Hometown: Sydney, Australia.
  
• Time lived in London: 15 months
  
• Our introduction: San Sebastian, Spain (Hospedaje Donosti B&B), May 31, 2010.
• Something we've shared: A love for tapas, both in London & San Sebastian.
• Something they've taught us: There is no such thing as too much travel, and good sushi does exist in London.
• Our newly acquired hand-me-down: A camping tent!
  
• Our next meeting place: Australia...
  

-B&B

"Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love; and then we return home." - Australian proverb