Pennsylvania Girl Abroad

I was a server in various restaurants over the years, both in New York City and in the state of Pennsylvania.  The American standard of tipping is high. We expect 15-20% of the check/bill if we do a good job.  That’s how servers get paid really. The $3 or $4 an hour (not sure what […]

The Narrow Boat or Canal Boat was “made to fit the narrow canals of Great Britain…and refers to the original working boats built in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries for carrying goods on the narrow canals” (Wikipedia) The canals throughout London are beautiful, and my husband Jim and I have spent many weekend afternoons cycling or […]

We moved to London at an amazing year! The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, and the Olympics! The city was alive and I’m happy that we were able to take part in some of the festivities. One of the most memorable was for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee River Pageant […]

When you think of London, you might think of that amazing English accent and proper behavior.  Don’t let that throw you off when you’re a pedestrian walking on the London roads. If you are visiting London from the U.S., you have one main thing to get used to, which is to see the cars driving […]

Prior to moving abroad, I lived in Jersey City, New Jersey for over 3 years, and I was getting used to some aspects of the suburban style life. I would drive to a large supersized grocery store, stock up on food, and carry it all out to my car and easily into my apartment. Normal, […]

It’s normal to have an ideal, almost fairytale type of picture in your head when you think about living in a new city and country. I definitely felt that way about living abroad in London.  I pictured old beautiful things, pubs, castles, quaint canals, royalty and a completely new life, void of all negativity. The world at […]