If you had a relatively short time to live in London, what would you see? What would you do?
Perhaps one of my favorite Downton Abbey moments is when the privileged dowager Duchess of Grantham asks, "What is a weekEND?" Unfortunately, as modern commoners, we know all too well what a weekEND is: a time to treasure being together as a family, a time to recharge and regroup from the working week . . . and, when you live in a city where you are half-resident/half-tourist, a time to check things off the neverending must-see and must-do list.
Perhaps one of my favorite Downton Abbey moments is when the privileged dowager Duchess of Grantham asks, "What is a weekEND?" Unfortunately, as modern commoners, we know all too well what a weekEND is: a time to treasure being together as a family, a time to recharge and regroup from the working week . . . and, when you live in a city where you are half-resident/half-tourist, a time to check things off the neverending must-see and must-do list.
It really is a balance we have had to find over our time in my husband's program that sees us moving so often. First with Boston (must see/must do: swan boats, New England Aquarium, Freedom Trail, Cape Cod, apple-picking, etc.). Then with Newburyport (beaches, beaches, more beaches, fresh lobster, Maine, etc.). Of course, when you are living in a place, it is simply that much more rich because you actually get to live the life, make friends, learn the ins-and-outs (how many times did I keep my mouth shut in Boston when someone said, "Oh, you live in the South End? We love Southie!" No. Just no.). Or here in London, simply learning the intricacies of public transportation is a feat, let alone working on the massive must-see London list (edited for little eyes and attention spans, of course!).
But while all that is going on, you also have a life that is changing and growing before your eyes at lightning speed. When we first waved goodbye to Austin and moved to Boston, she was literally a baby (about 20 months old). Somehow over the past year-plus, she has grown up... I guess that's how it works. ;) And while the sightseeing and touring is going on, there are illnesses and friendships and playdates and birthday parties and swim lessons and Saturday mornings where she just wants to sit on the floor and play with her animals (or her new obsession, Sylvanian Families, Calico Critters in the states).
So it really is a balance you have to find. When you will only be waking up on a Saturday morning in London so many times, how many of those will you spend living your "regular" life (working out, grabbing breakfast, watching cartoons, or on Sundays, going to church), and how many will you spend packing up the stroller, grabbing your camera and your Oyster card, and heading out to experience a city with a history so rich that 1000 Saturdays would not be enough? How do you balance a terribly exciting city like London with the mundanity of life? Especially when even mundane life is exciting in its own right because your child is ever-changing?
[18 October 2013. Friday afternoon "date night" at a delish French restaurant while our Italian babysitter played with Ro. Saturday was a lazy grey morning, complete with grocery shopping, then a birthday celebration at a local pub in the afternoon. Sunday morning: sun was shining so we skipped church (oops, but you have to think God appreciates our opportunism) and headed to Old Spitalfields Market-- cool for its history and neat to see East London, but turns out we aren't "market" people-- I just end up feeling rushed and Vinnie looks miserable among the crowds and the price tags. But Ro snagged a sweet winter hat! Then a quick trip to the Tower of London where Ro's new Cinderella doll developed a serious case of crown envy.]
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