TheLonestarBrit

Just an update. I made it back to sunny Suffolk August 31st. Been back about 6 weeks now, currently working a temporary job at Kentwell Hall helping out with their annual Halloween event. Still looking for something more full-time but enjoying being back home with family.

Still re-adjusting to life in Britain, and do miss life in Texas but over all I'm glad I moved back.

Bnet36

Congratulations Lonestar!

Curious to know what you miss in Texas and what you appreciate most now that you are back.

scrubbedexpat097

Long Melford??

Love Kentwell Hall, both my kids had days there when they were in school in the UK. I always made sure I could be a volunteer parent on those school trips

Good luck with the job hunt

TheLonestarBrit

I miss my Texan friends! Having to make a whole new circle of friends here again as most of my old school friends have moved on, or are in completely different phases of life. Still, I'll get there and I'm glad to have family around me as that was what I was missing most.

I also miss some of the American conveniences. Parking is so bad here in the UK, and I sort of miss the ease of parking and the convenience of drive through banking in the States!

Now I'm home in the UK I appreciate having my family close, and being able to walk more. I also appreciate the less commercial feel of the village I live in compared to the city I was in in Texas.

I will say that one place is not necessarily better than the other, and perhaps I will go back to Texas one day, but right now for this stage in life the UK is awesome.

TheLonestarBrit

I had school trips to Kentwell too. Remember the Tudor reenactment day the most: Was so much fun! I went to school nearby. Working up there is definitely interesting.

I'm actually living in Lavenham right now, but it's a 10 minute drive to Long Melford.

scrubbedexpat097

Lucky you, Lavenham is such a pretty place!

We lived in one of the villages near Melford and the kids went to school in Bulmer

quoll

Oh lucky! I love Lavenham (especially the wool shop!)

Englishmum

It's good to hear your update

I have an unforgettable memory of Kentwell Hall. We used to live in south west Essex and our daughter went on a class trip to Kentwell Hall. She raved about it so much that we went to spend a sunny Easter Sunday there (this must have been more than 20 years ago).

We had a lovely day, watching the lambs frolicking in the fields, all the daffodils and enjoying watching the re-enactments and displays of life in Tudor times. However it all went downhill. We were walking past the moat on the way back to the car....and my son - aged 5 - suddenly pushed his big sister into the moat! The poor girl was soaked and we had no towels or anything with us to dry her off.

Her day got even worse......we were just going into the house (our daughter was in front of us) and we heard a blood-curdling scream so loud that you would have thought a mad axe-man was inside. Our neighbour's cat had climbed in through a small window we had left slightly open....and our daughter hadn't properly secured her gerbil's cage. She'd walked into the living room to see the tail of her gerbil hanging out the the cat's mouth....the cat had decapitated her gerbil My husband booted the cat up the garden and it never came near our house again.....

I'd love to go back and visit Kentwell Hall again - it's a lovely day out. (I also like the Norman castle at Castle Hedingham as well)

Kentwell Hall | Hall, Gardens & Special Events

Hedingham Castle | Wedding and Events Venue In Essex

vikingsail

Lonestar great to hear your story. Its always amazing to me how life focuses around certain things. Many happy memories here of being part of the Kentwell reenactment in the 80's. Beautiful part of the country to return too, good luck.