Reliving London

July 2nd, 2006

"I already know I'm going to miss this city. I can feel it in my stomach..."

On Monday at approximately 9 am I will touch down in London seven years after leaving. Far too much time has passed, but life got in the way--as it always does. I've spent the better part of a year planning this trip, this escape, and yet I've been filled with anxiety about all the what ifs: What if my luggage gets lost? What if my credit cards don't work? What if someone steals my computer? What if I want to come home?

While looking for my combination lock this afternoon, I found the diary I kept while I was in London: 

 July 26th, 2006

"I believe one must always be curious, seeking out new experiences to live a full life. Never allow yourself to get bored or get stuck in a rut. There is too much out there to explore." 

In all honesty, I'm pretty sure the Emily of then would be disappointed with the Emily of today and how scared she is right now--to say nothing of the rut I've found myself in for the past couple of years.  Reading this reminded me of how happy I was, how fulfilled I felt while living in London. Of course, it's only natural to feel nervous before taking a big leap but I don't want it to color my time there. I want to be past all that. 

Perhaps all adventurers feel this way beforehand. Even the idea that this time next week I'll be writing from London seems unreal. Sometimes when we are separated from someone or something we care about it exists only in our memory for so long that it is no longer a part of reality. Instead, it becomes the fantastic,  the untouchable living only in our imagination.  To be able to go back to this place is a gift. 

July 2nd, 2006

"I want my life to always be like this, filled with music, culture, writing, excitement...leafy trees and wide sidewalks."

I want to be this person again. I've tried to be, but the day to day work of getting by can muddle things. Hopefully this time away will help me sort things out.

Tour de New England: A Photo Essay

As kind of a last hurrah before I head off to Europe James and I traveled to my family's house (aka Camp) in Maine for a few days. It turned into a little tour of New England since we then made our way to Boston and Rhode Island, managing to hit every New England state except Vermont. I swear it was an unintentional slight! 

After hitting the road late, we stopped for lunch in Portsmouth, NH which has become something of a tradition for us. If you've never been, Portsmouth is a wonderful seaside town with a ton of delicious restaurants. It reminds me of a smaller Portland. After walking around we decided to hit up an old favorite, The Friendly Toast. It kind of reminds me of the description of Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag because there's a bunch of crazy retro stuff everywhere. James was particularly enamored of a KFC bucket table light. Funnily enough, they have a location in Cambridge that I've never been to. That will be a question on Emily Jepordy.

That sign says Beer and Lunch, btw.

The Gentleman Scramble with cheddar-cayenne toast. When I see avocado as an ingredient, 9 times out of ten I order it. A week later and I am still dreaming of that toast. No, really. 

Finally made it to Maine! 

This is what adults do without cable or internet.

When I was a teenager I went to a giant barn of books somewhere in Maine. It was awesome. I couldn't remember where it was, so when I googled "Book Barn Maine" this place came up. It wasn't the same one, but just as good. 

I mean, come on.

Guess which ones are mine and which ones are James'! That's sexist! My love of Larry Bird rivals Leslie Knope's! (Just kidding about the sexist part. You were totally right.)

Even as I was taking this photo this song was running through my head. I am a walking cliche on so many levels. 

Shore dinner from The Portland Lobster Co.

Next stop: Beantown for a Sox game!

On the way home our cab driver talked about how our hotel was haunted. Subsequently, I woke up in the middle of the night convinced that a ghost was looking at me. It turned out to be the giant mirror in our room. 

I couldn't come to the city without stopping by to say hello!

On to Charlestown, Rhode Island for the 4th!

 My uncle roasted a whole pig, which was delicious but even still....I think I'm off meat for a while.

Aaaaand because I am the best house guest ever I brought Flour's famous sticky buns for breakfast!

Trip Update: Housesitting in London

Isn't it funny how things come together all of a sudden? That's how the last week has been. I've been thinking about this trip since January but actual, important details like when I'm leaving and where I'll be going were up in the air until now. This was in large part due to my trying to get a housesitting gig for part of the trip which, I am now happy to report, was successful! I'll be house/dogsitting in Golders Green in London for three weeks starting August 3rd. Partly what caught my eye about this listing was the area. I never got around to exploring Hampstead Heath last time I was in London and the family I'll be helping out lives right near by. 

I kind of fell into housesitting after college when I did it for a family in nearby West Hartford for about six weeks. At the time it was nice to be out of my mom's house for a while, even if it was only a couple of miles away. I house/dog sat for them a couple more times and also did occasional catsitting for a neighbor before I moved to Boston. When I started reading about long-term traveling housesitting was mentioned as a great way to save money while traveling. I read a couple of blogs and bought this very informative e-book by Dalene and Peter Heck of Hecktic Travels who have been housesitting all over the world for years. After some more research I set up an account with TrustedHousesitters.com and after a few months of diligent emailing I got a gig.

 Aside from free accommodation, housesitting also promotes the kind of travel I'm interested in--slow--and allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture in a way staying in a hotel never can. I would never be able to afford to stay in London this long so I'm looking forward to spending some quality time in my little borough. The Peak district and Yorkshire are still on the agenda, but I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to stay in my favorite city for three weeks. And, of course, the chance to have a dog for a bit is a nice bonus :)

Last year I started reading Imagined London by the wonderful Anna Quindlen but I had to stop because it made me too...I dunno...sad. I wanted to be back in London but at that point it was impossible. But now, with this trip on the horizon, reading this has only made me more excited. It's always been hard for me to explain why I felt so drawn to this city more than any other place, long before I ever went there, but Quindlen nailed it when she wrote "If you have spent your days in an armchair with a book, your nights reading yourself to sleep, then London is the central character in so much of what you have read that it is as though it is your imaginary home, a place whose lineaments are as clear as those of your own living room..." For me, being in London is the closest I can get to living inside my imagination.I can't wait to go home.

Caraway Seed Cake From Jane Eyre

Poor Jane Eyre. Girl can’t get a break. First, her parents die of typhus. Then, her beloved uncle and guardian Mr. Reed dies, leaving her in the care of an aunt who despises her and encourages Jane’s abuse at the hands of her cousins. After a particularly distressing conflict with her cousin John, she is sent away to the Lowood School for girls, where she finds a new abuser in Mr. Brocklehurst, the school’s headmaster. Eventually, Jane befriends a fellow student, Helen Burns, and finds a supporter in her teacher, Miss Temple. 

In one of the first bright spots in the novel Miss Temple invites Helen and Jane for tea, and shows the young girls true kindness: 

“[...] she got up, unlocked a drawer, and taking from it a parcel wrapped in paper, disclosed presently to our eyes a good-sized seed-cake.

‘I meant to give each of you some of this to take with you,’ said she: ‘but as there is so little toast, you must have it now,’ and she proceeded to cut slices with a generous hand.

We feasted that evening as on nectar and ambrosia; and not the least delight of the entertainment was the smile of gratification with which our hostess regarded us, as we satisfied our famished appetites on the delicate fare she liberally supplied.”

I mean, at this point, this was probably the best afternoon of Jane’s life. Of course, (SPOILER ALERT) then Helen goes on to die of consumption in her arms. 

Seed cakes were quite popular in Britain well into the 19^th century and were usually flavored with caraway seeds—hence the name. You may know caraway seeds from their role in rye bread, but they actually work nicely in sweet breads too. According to Andrea Broomfield in her book Food and Cooking In Victorian England: A History, seed cakes originated in East Anglia in the 16^th Century where they were traditionally served during the harvest time. Caraway seeds were also thought to aid in digestion, so this cake was served after large meals. It became most popular during the Victorian age and was frequently served with tea. It was usually flavored with some kind of spirit, such as Madeira wine or brandy, was nicknamed a “keeping cake” because it didn’t spoil easily. 

I couldn’t find a recipe from the 1840s, so one from the infamous Mrs. Beeton will have to do. She was kind of like the Martha Stewart of her day. She came up with such revolutionary ideas as listing ingredients at the beginning of the recipe and telling readers how long they should cook something for:

A Very Good Seed-Cake: 1861 From Mrs. Beeton’s ‘Household Management’

 INGREDIENTS – 1 lb. of butter, 6 eggs, 3/4 lb. of sifted sugar, pounded mace and grated nutmeg to taste, 1 lb. of flour, 3/4 oz. of caraway seeds, 1 wineglassful of brandy.

Mode.—Beat the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour; add the sugar, mace, nutmeg, and caraway seeds, and mix these ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs, stir to them the brandy, and beat the cake again for 10 minutes. Put it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and bake it from 1–1/2 to 2 hours. This cake would be equally nice made with currants, and omitting the caraway seeds.

Time.—1–1/2 to 2 hours.

I decided to find a recipe that didn't include 6 eggs because I like my cholesterol level. This one from GoodToKnow.co.uk seemed like a great balance between classic ingredients and modern methods:

Caraway Seed Loaf Cake

Recipe

• 175g (6oz) butter, softened
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 250g (8oz) self-raising flour
• 38g jar caraway seeds
• 2tbsp milk
• 1kg (2lb) loaf tin, buttered and lined with a strip of baking parchment

 Method

1. Tip all the ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth. Spoon mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface.
2. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven 160°C (320°F, gas mark 3) for 45 mins-1 hr, or until the cake feels just firm to the touch in the centre, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into cake.
3. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10-15 mins.
4. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

The amount of eggs gives this cake a rather spongey texture, much different from the sweetbreads I'm used to, but it all works to create a nice, fluffy cake . However, I can see why wine or brandy was used to help preserve this cake because it seems to get a bit mushy from all the butter after a few days.

Now invite this guy over to tea and you'll be all set:

Travel Inspiration #1: Brit Film & TV

I have spent an inordinate amount of my life watching British films and tv series, especially since Netflix was invented. Growing up I was mostly at the mercy of my local PBS station or A&E so I was thrilled to finally have unlimited access to shows other than Monty Python, As Time Goes By, Pride & Prejudice, and whoever was playing Ms. Marple. 

But, as much as I enjoy the intricate story lines and compelling characters, with each new viewing I became more and more drawn to the landscape and settings: the Peak District, Yorkshire, Lyme Park--pretty much anywhere in Wiltshire. (IMDB has been incredibly helpful in providing filming locations.) 

Though I studied abroad in London for a summer, my time spent outside the city was limited to a few day trips here and there. So when I started planning my trip I knew I wanted to visit these places. (This was further compounded by my desire to visit certain literary landmarks like Haworth, but more on that later) Basically, I want my summer to look like both versions of  Pride and Prejudice, this version of Wuthering Heights, and 1993's The Secret Garden:

Source: Uploaded by user via Taiwan on Pinterest

Source: travel-blog123.tumblr.com via Eloise on Pinterest

Source: uk-photos.co.uk via Emma on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via BrendaGay on Pinterest

Source: dpreview.com via Michele Sarra on Pinterest

Source: ohyeahuknationalparks.tumblr.com via Joan on Pinterest

Anything look familiar?

Dinner Is Served

Tonight's Menu: Haloumi (from Trader Joe's) over my own homegrown lettuce, garnished with homegrown mint, basil, and parsley! I served it with an easy lemon vinaigrette (lemon, evoo, s&p, chopped herbs)

Why I Decided To Travel

                            Touring Cambridge University, 2006

As I mentioned earlier, I recently decided to take some time off to travel long term. I have been breaking the news to family and friends over the past few months, and even though the response has been overwhelmingly positive,  I figured I would take the time to explain why I am doing this and how I am able to make it happen.

I am a big fan of the idea that we have the ability to make things happen for ourselves, within reason. I never wanted to be President or a rock star or a Kardashian, but I always knew that I wanted to live in London. After  lot of planning and research I was able to make that happen, at least for a summer. Think back to every major decision you have made since you became an adult.What would you change and why? When I think back to the decisions I made starting around age 22, many were in pursuit of this goal: being able to travel long term for a spell. But what made me decide that now is the time?  I could give you a list of reasons, but the most compelling ended up being the simplest...
  

                                        San Francisco, 2007

I may never be able to do this again

I know a lot of people who say that they will travel when they're older and retired, which is fine. But I don't want to wait--partly because I'm impatient and partly because I don't know what the future holds. I agree that traveling in my sunset years sounds great, but I could also be dead or sick or bogged down by responsibilities that I currently don't have. I don't mean that in a pessimistic way, it's just reality. Right now I'm lucky enough to have my health and a moderate amount of financial and personal freedom, which hasn't been the case over the past few years. I have no children and no significant debts. In the future I expect that to change. I want a house, I want a more settled life, but it can wait a year or two. So...

         Bryce Canyon, 2011. One of the only shots of us together. Oops!

I made travel a priority  

For you, it might be something else. Maybe you want to own a house by age 30, start a family, have a big wedding, or drive a luxury car.  At some point we all choose our choices and those choices reflect what we value. I chose travel because I think it makes me a better person, a more confident person, a more understanding person and it inspires me in ways nothing else does. Am I giving up other things in the process? Definitely. Is it a fair trade off? To me, it is. But besides that...

                                          Grand Canyon, 2011

         

I am lucky

But, I mean, if you are reading this then so are you. We're all lucky to some degree, comparatively speaking. I may be lucky, or rather privileged enough to be able to do this for a number of circumstantial reasons. However, I am not lucky enough to be a trust fund kid nor have I had any financial windfalls that are paying for this trip. Furthermore, my career doesn't pay especially well, but again, that was a choice I made. But by simply attributing this to me being 'lucky' you are taking power away from yourself to make your own dreams happen. The opportunity to take this trip hasn't just fallen into my lap. It is happening because of long term planning and because...

                                     Hemingway House, 2012

I am frugal

This is probably the single biggest reason for why I am able to do this. I drive a 1995 Jetta that I bought seven years ago. I have never had a smart phone (though that will change thanks to T-Mobile's new business model). I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale and ever since I moved back to Connecticut a couple of years ago I have made a concerted effort to cut down on the amount of 'stuff' I own. Obviously, living in Connecticut is cheaper than living in a city like New York or Boston or L.A. But even when I lived in Boston, the most I ever paid for rent was $575, which also included utilities. Ok, so maybe one of my walls may have actually been a closet door, but hey. It was cheap and safe and on the T. But that's not to say that all of these decisions have been easy or ones I've been particularly happy about. I gave up a certain kind of lifestyle when I left Boston and I miss it everyday. But sometimes you meet a guy, fall in love, and end up living 15 minutes from the place where you grew up. It felt a lot like this:  

But on the plus side...

My financial house is in order
As I mentioned earlier, I have no significant debt. If this wasn't the case, I highly doubt I would be doing this trip. I realize this is not true for many Americans for a variety of reasons, some avoidable, some not. I have some student loans, mostly from grad school, but it is a very manageable amount. This is huge, especially if you've attended college at any point over the last ten years. But again, this was mainly due to making some difficult decisions that, at the time, I was hardly excited about. I lived at home for two years during undergrad, so I did not have the typical "college experience" and at 17 I definitely felt like I was missing out on something important. I had always expected to go away to college but when the time came I couldn't make it happen. Of course, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't envy anyone who has had to navigate paying for college over the past decade, but an unpopular choice like going to a community college for a couple of years or living off campus can really make a difference in your post-college life. Besides my lack of debt, I also took an active role in my financial future once I started making my own money by doing a few simple things: I opened a Roth IRA when I was 22, I always contribute the max amount to my work's retirement plan, I never spend more than I earn,  and I have no credit card debt. My excellent credit has also allowed me to engage in travel hacking, which has cut down on some of the larger costs associated with travel, like plane tickets. I'll get into the nitty gritty of that more in the future...

I guess at some point over the past year I decided to stop waiting for things to happen that are out of my control. This is my way of taking back my own life and making it what I want, fate or destiny be damned.