Comfort & Joy in New Beginnings

Happy Thanksgiving week! What are you all up to for this Thanksgiving? We’re going to go to Manchester and explore the Christmas Markets. A new experience and maybe tradition while we’re in the UK. Not looking for the Xmas before Thanksgiving haters out there – life is too short! In the spirit of gratitude for things in your life, our tidings this week focus on sharing some things that we have really appreciated in our short time here so far.

Beautiful Fall Colors

Remember that story about us trying to plan out a 3-hour road trip to see the fall foliage? So glad we didn’t do that. We’ve witnessed some beautiful fall foliage nearby recently. The colors are exquisite. It kind of feels like Rick Moranis performed a little “Honey, I shrunk the Kids” and dropped us in a box of Crayola crayons. The most vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and purples seem to pop up out of nowhere. They catch us off guard and our breath. The temperate weather provides the most vibrant greens to complement these blazing fall colors. It’s something I’ve taken comfort and joy in. You might remember fall is one of my favorite seasons! So the timing of being able to experience these fall colors feels like a gift.

Sense of Community

In our short time here, we’ve noticed a sense of community.

Community at Work

Countless numbers of Kevin’s coworkers offer recommendations on things to do, parts of town to live, etc. One even invited us to a small outdoor Halloween event – and even offered to skip the event and have us over for dinner and pumpkin carving if we couldn’t make the event. It’s felt like people live altruistically and has provided a sense of comfort. Even as we still search for friends and a “tribe” over here, this sense of community makes it feel a little less lonely. His work even did a mini acknowledgment and lunch celebration of Diwali a couple of weeks ago. During the week his work also puts on free outdoor yoga and pilates classes.

Community at School

I’ve joined a couple of Facebook groups and asked a few questions (one about school uniforms before we started school). The responses almost make you want to cry. A person responded by mentioning their child came home, shared the news about a new kid coming to the class, and the child’s excitement to meet Lil Fox on his first day. A mom responded by offering to drop off a uniform for me. Several people give detailed advice on how and where to purchase uniforms and what to do if you have issues. A mom invited Lil Fox and me over for tea and playdate after school one day. A handful of kids made birthday cards to give Lil Fox on his first day of school.

While our perception could be rose-colored glasses, we like to think it’s because so many people in Cambridge have lived in other countries. Therefore, they all have an internal and instinctual understanding of what it’s like to be in a new environment and culture. It’s not uncommon to have about half of the students have English as a second language. Zooming in a bit more you might find a school has dozens and dozens and dozens of different languages are spoken at home (not exaggerating). Religious education is a subject taught to every age to understand and respect each other’s views/faith – even those who don’t have any.

It’s exciting for him to have this experience. We love that the children likely can’t feel like the odd one out because everyone is different. Different is awesome!

Coexistence with Animals

It delights us to walk on a path, or a field, next to an animal, peacefully coexisting due to mutual respect. Minimal signage exists about the risks and lawsuits because it feels like a way of life here. It’s as normal as breathing. Our kids enjoy studying the animals up close, biking around cow pies, looking at hoof prints on the ground, and asking why there is a print but no cows, sheep, etc. around. Little trackers they are. In Cambridge, many common grounds have cattle or wildlife grazing. You simply bike or walk near them. That’s it, no big deal. Same with countryside walks or visiting National Trusts. While I’m fully aware they are not 100% feral, you know they are not commercial and are likely responsibly, loosely managed (or overseen). I hope more communities can learn to integrate like this.

Coexistence of Multi-Modal Traffic

Roads are narrow, and sometimes a two-lane road is really a one-lane road. For our snow-experienced winter people, it’s like how the streets seem to get smaller and smaller throughout the winter as more snow plowing shrinks down the amount of road usable. Picture that and keep shrinking. Sometimes, I am doing involuntary isometric muscle contractions just trying to squeeze between two parked cars. Work out for the day, check and mark. We have lots and lots of roundabouts (4 way stops basically don’t exist) and traffic calming features.

Now even with this all going on, somehow things flow calmly and chaotically. You feel mutual respect. There’s no such thing as yield or stop here. It’s all give way. We don’t see stop signs – a sad day when you’re using US car bingo cards and can’t get a bingo because you can’t find a stop sign. That’s beside the point. Cambridge is incredibly bike-friendly. Cyclists are allowed to bike the wrong way down a one-way street. You often find generous, dedicated bike lanes. When you can’t, you have shared pedestrian-bike paths separated from the road.

We’re not sure how to describe it – it feels like there’s a respectful madness to the multi-modal traffic. Cars don’t honk at bicyclists. They don’t seem impatient, nor do they make you feel like they have some pent-up road rage. You could bike at your own pace for two blocks down a narrow road, where this is no room for a car to pass, and it all just feels calm. More often than not cars will stop to let cyclists cross or simply give way. In some ways, it feels relaxing as there is not this constant pressure to rush rush rush. Now, I’m not saying people don’t feel that way in their cars. Some might. And if they do, they likely don’t show it. People have told us British people are often reserved. 

On busy streets that can’t afford designated lanes, bikes and double-decker buses have this symbiotic relationship. Think of a school of fish. Everyone is in sync. They know when to bob and weave all at the same time, sometimes inches from each other! It almost feels dangerous to be too cautious in these areas because you will disrupt the stampede. Yet, we don’t see accidents, and more people than not bike without helmets. Let me rephrase. You are in the minority if you bike with a helmet! Crazy.

When you get to an intersection, there is always a boxed-off area for bicyclists to wait in the front. When the stop lights change they also have a green light just for bikes to let them get a head start before the cars are able to go. Love it!

Cycle parking is also out of this world. Are you going to the grocery? Oh, please do choose from these hundreds of bicycle racks to lock up. Are you going to a leisure park (yes, that’s a term)? Sure, pick from hundreds again. Too bad the racks aren’t vacant. It could be a parkour person’s dream!

Accessible Wild Game

You can readily find the seasonal wild game at your local butcher and grocery stores. While we have tried wild game meat before our time in the UK, being able to purchase it so accessibly isn’t something we’ve experienced before. Embracing the experience, we’ve tried the common game meats you likely recognize: venison, partridge, and pheasant. We’ve also challenged ourselves and tried rabbit and pigeon.

If you’ve known me for a while, you know I grew up as a slightly particular eater. For example, I wouldn’t eat the ends of chicken tenders or wouldn’t eat fish for the longest time (mostly because I was afraid of bones). Eating pigeons reminds me I’ve come a long way, and while I am proud of my progress – it is safe to say I will never need to eat another pigeon and cannot look at one the same way ever again. Also, while we’re at PLEASE do not tell Wilbur our messenger pigeon! Some trust you can never rebuild. Anyways, always good to know that if we get stranded in the forest and are hungry, pigeons can be an option. Have you seen Home Alone 2? Remember that pigeon lady in Central Park? I felt like that for a while after dinner that one night. If you haven’t had it, it had the texture of chicken liver (yes have tried that too – but back in the US). Anyways, pigeon. Not my favorite. However, it is exciting to find ways to consume responsibly hunted wild game.