There is a saying that I once saw, "Home is where your journey begins." This statement could not be truer in this season of our lives. I am naturally a homebody and also feel the most comfortable at home. When AJ and I began this process, it did not seem real that we were moving, because I could not picture our new home. I could not imagine where our family photos would hang, how our furniture would be arranged, or what my new community would look like. I would routinely tell AJ that once we decide on a house in the UK, it will all feel real.
So, during the week of Memorial Day, AJ and I embarked on a trip to find our new home. We hopped on a plane and spent a week in the area that would become our new home just a few short weeks later. The entire purpose of this mini adventure was for me to see our new community as well as find a place to live. There was no sightseeing or souvenir shopping. Much like the show House Hunters International, we spent a day touring a multitude of houses looking for the one that had all the right features we wanted. We were looking for the right house that would become our home. Once we had our list of houses, we drove the neighborhoods and towns, visited the local gyms, stopped in at the grocery store, and tried to picture our new lives.
As we toured houses in the UK, the differences between UK homes and US homes was so interesting. Space is at a premium, so homes are much smaller in the UK than in the US. A room just has to have a window to be considered a bedroom, regardless of size, according to our relocation specialist; thus we saw some tiny "bedrooms!" AJ and I also immediately noticed the importance of doors in UK houses. Every room has a door, and often times, it is closed. Before our house hunting trip, we had be warned that storage was also at a premium. UK home have very few closets, and the closets the homes have are typically small.
By the end of the week, AJ and I had settle on the house that will be our home. It has plenty of charm and character, enough space to accommodate visitors, and a quaint community to explore and get to know.
This home will be like none other that we ever live in. It will be the place that we return to after exploring our new country. It will be the place of familiar things that comfort us when we miss our family and friends. It will be the place the new friendships form and develop. It will be the place that this story begins.
And finally, it will be the place that the lights are always on to welcome anyone in!
~W
