Coming Home

Neither I, nor Andy, nor Mom can believe that we've got less than a week before we depart York! That was a long, short three months. I feel my research is in a good place, but there's plenty more to do. What have I learned while being in York? Well, my most recent observation is that black tights are all the rage right now. Maybe one in four women at any time is rockin' those black tights! Also, it amazes me that such diverse regional dialects can exist in a region the size of my home state - but as Andy points out, the population density here is enormous. I've learned that being able to go anywhere, anytime and get food is a luxury I've taken for granted. And I miss warm water! Having to choose between "scalding" and "freezing" is no fun - most places in England have separate cold and hot water taps. I notice these are superficial observations, but it will probably be a while before I can really reflect on how the trip has REALLY made an impact. (I'm sure you'll "stay tuned"!) Many people love York because it's a beautiful city with lots of history. It's definitely full of tourists, transplants, and natives alike. Transportation here is pretty good, except for the [expletive] number 4 bus which advertises buses every 10 minutes but don't quite deliver on that promise. Otherwise it's easy to get around. Probably even easier if you're not pregnant!! During our time here, Zachary has learned to walk, and is talking quite a lot. Not words, per se, but he's got baby speak down pat. "Ca?" means car, cow, and quack. "Eeeeee!" means horsie. And "mum-mum" means "I want some of what you're eating". He is mastering feeding himself (yogurt anyway) and drinking from a small cup or glass. I love 'im. Our trip back is going to be complicated. Lots of "hops" to make: first to Andy's parents, then to London Heathrow (plane leaves at 11:00 am but they want us to check in 3 hours early!), then to my sister's home in DC, and then to Denver! We're going to be travel-weary when we get home, for sure!! Well, of course I have to blog in between Zachary's naps and other activities, so it's time to bring this blog to a close. I've got more pictures to post, so look for those soon! (If you missed it, the last installment of pics was here): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150422426611465.374624.622256464&type=1&l=2035bb1f36