lull and laud

Both of us have been very much immersed in our work this past month; time feels like it is free-flowing and already Christmas seems but an arm's length away. I hate it when someone, as they did today, asks what we've been up to, and I end up scratching my head in wonder and with total lack of recall. Um...went to some lectures? Read books? Ate, slept?

That's okay I guess, some weeks are just like that. Andy's been buried in work and I've been buried in ploughing my way through the final year (eek!). There have been some fun different things to break up the routine, such as a Halloween reunion with some dear friends from university (above), where I went all-out as a lego person. I rocked second prize! I'm also still loving my weekly life drawing classes (above), relishing the total contrast to the rest of my social-work-theory- laden week.

Because I haven't been up to much excitement, I thought I'd take the opportunity to give a shout out about some people in my life who have been doing some more amazing things! Firstly, my friend Kenneth is officially my hero for running the New York marathon, in an incredible time. He trained for what seemed like forever, including during when we met up in Spain this summer, where he would get up early and run up the Sierra Nevadas in ungodly heat. Now that's dedication. Way to go, KP.

Secondly, my sweet friend Cory passed the bar and can now practice law in New York City! I met her at the beginning of her journey and let me tell you, the law degree is no picnic. I think she probably had some of her toughest times doing it it, but she did it and I'm totally proud of her and in awe. Finally, in the next 8 weeks, three separate friends: Bekah, Joanna and Josie will tie the knot and start the adventure of doing life with someone else - this too I believe deserves applause as one of the most crazy, brave, challenging and worthwhile things someone can choose to do in life.

Here's to knowing some incredible people...

Blast from the Past

On Friday Andy and I drove to a pub in Alderley Edge and met up with the Trevelyans: Andy, Sophie, Sam and Susanna, who are the family that I lived with and worked for in my very first year of living in New York, all those years ago. Needless to say, Sam and Su have grown so much since they were the 3 and 5 year-olds that I began working with; they both definitely retain their character in the way I remember it though.

Andy and I knew each other from the climbing wall in Oxford when I was at uni and they offered me a job as a nanny to Sam and Su for a year, while he and Sophie worked on research in their respective areas of science at Columbia. What a year it was! They provided me with my 'in' to New York and gave me not only a roof over my head and a job, but the extreme privilege of looking after two of the most fun, clever and engaging kids I have ever met. Seriously, these kids are incredible and I had so much fun learning about children, New York, and about myself in that first year living with them.

I don't think I ever told them this, but being part of their family was the thing that secured for me the decision that I did in fact want to have a family of my own, one day. There's nothing quite like good role models and adorable, adventurous kids to convince you that raising a family is extremely hard work, but completely worth every sacrifice.

Reunion Tale

Last week, my friend Sarah and I orchestrated a grand surprise visit to our old home of New York. Specifically, we wanted to surprise our great friend and my old flatmate Jes and catch up with her and with the city. We met up at the airport having flown in from our respective homes in Manchester and Missouri, squealed like valley girls when we found each other, and waited for Jes on her stoop when she got back from work! The look on her face was worth all the plotting and planning and I had an AMAZING week catching up with familiar faces and places.

New York retains a certain hold over me. I assumed I would feel more like a visitor, this being my first return after leaving 9 months ago, but as soon as I arrived it really just felt like being home. Everything was so familiar, and it just made sense to me that I was part of the city again. I guess this is partly because the people I left behind really are like family to me, and partly because 4 years is long enough for a place to really get under your skin and never leave. I know it's New York, and this is all so cliched, but going back made me realise that this city just makes sense to me - I get how it ticks and find is easy to tick along in time.

And so the 6 day trip passed in a wonderful swirl of smiles and hugs, of sipping great coffee and catching up on eating bagels, frozen yogurt, sushi, cupcakes...you get the idea. I went with my gorgeous god-daughter to the zoo, I ate brunch (along with Chelsea Clinton!) in the sunshine in Brooklyn, spent an afternoon with dear friends in New Jersey at their amazing house and generally reveled in the city and her people. I felt more buoyant of soul than I have done in a while, but at the same time feel like I made my peace with the new life we're forging in Manchester. New York will always be there. I miss my friends terribly, but they will always be woven into my life, if from slightly further away. And who knows, maybe we'll boomerang back there one day for a more long-term reunion...

Wet n' Wild at Work

It's been a busy and somewhat flat-feeling month or two for Andy and me, but I figured it was time for an update! Some things that have been going on:
- my button tree is still alive (!)
- Andy's latest clients at his arena decided to do a New York-themed event, complete with taxi cabs and massive backdrop of the skyline. We both miss New York, a LOT.
- My placement for my Social Work Masters is going great - I feel really engaged with the clients and the team, and it's really challenging my ideas about care/control of mental health...how society decides to label and respond to things. Hmm. I'm learning a lot.
- We went to see the Miserable Rich the other night at a great little venue called The Deaf Institute. They're really great. Check them out.
- My part time work at The Mustard Tree is going really well - our programme (The Freedom Project - cheesy I know, I didn't name it) helps those with significant barriers to employment (ex-offenders, homeless, long term unemployed, mentally ill) gain work practice, life sills training and mentoring to help them make steps back to work. Its a really steep learning curve for me and for Jez (who really runs it now that I'm down to one day a week!), but we're excited about what's been happening in the lives of our participants.
Part of what we like to do once a month is do team-building days where we give the guys on the project experiences that will be new and fun and help improve confidence and team-building. Today, we took them for a day out in the hills for hiking and abseiling (see pics above) Everyone had such a blast - one guy who was with us came to the UK as a refugee over 5 years ago and today was his FIRST time EVER in the countryside. He was grinning all day long an took pics with his camera phone of everything; it was so much fun to watch him love nature!

The countdown begins

Welcome to our blog! Having only just ventured into the blogging world, this is somewhat foreign to us but hopefully will serve the purpose that we want it to, which is to keep our friends and family updated as we leave New York, bounce around a few countries and start a new life in England.

The countdown has begun for both of us for leaving this magical city, and it's hard to fit into a few corny paragraphs my feelings about our time here and it coming to an end. For me, New York City has been the singular most pivotal chapter in my life and its not one I'm moving on from easily. I've gained a community of friends that have become closer than family, I've set upon a career path as a social worker (glutton for punishment, I know) and I'm taking with me my buddy for life, Andy. I have to say, up and leaving a country and starting a new life (again!) is infinitely less frightening with someone at your side :)

We've been trying to live it up as much as possible over the past few weeks, and have had great times seeing bands, shows, museums and eating and drinking in our fave spots with our fave people. Yesterday we spent the day with about 13 or so of our friends cooking, eating, playing Taboo and taking an unexpected tour of downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan in what has officially been dubbed the "Eastermobile". Good times.

In the meantime, I'm finishing up work this week and trying to pack up life and get it together for leaving for Peru! I'm realizing how much I'm gonna miss my clients at my job. Crazy, high-maintenance and crack-addicted though they may be, I've been very shaped by working with this population and I am supremely inspired and impressed by their perseverance and hope despite even the most incredible obstacles they face.

Okay, turns out I'm that annoying blogger who doesn't know when to shut up. Who knew ;) We'll both be posting on our travels but this is just sort of an intro. If you like, you can follow our thoughts and pictures here as we leave New York and head to Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and perhaps elsewhere en route to England.

Enjoy the ride; I know we will :)