At the air show

Look look! Here's a new post and it's only been 2 weeks since the last one!

We took a trip to the Houston air show yesterday ("Wings Over Houston" as it is called) and had a brilliant time. Well not so much for M at the start as she got scared during the WWII re-enactment part, but she was ok and really enjoying the show once that part was over. She got to climb onto a cargo plane (twice), look at lots of other aircafts on the ground and see lots of acrobatics being performed. We had good seats booked facing the middle of the airfield, and the weather was very mild and sunny, which made it pretty much perfect for a day out like this.

Here are a few photos of the day:

Little ears needed ear protection

Inside the cargo plane

The Blue Angels demonstration

The bad blogger

It's official. I'm a bad blogger. So, if anyone still comes this way, I would like ideas as to what to write about that could be of interest!

In the meantime, I can show a few pictures of our new place... The move went smoothly, even though we realized once the previous owners' furniture was out, that the whole of the upstairs carpet needed replacing... a trip to Carpet Giant followed, and two days later we were the proud owners of a brand new thick carpet. Three bedrooms were also repainted, a pool fence installed, and a built-in microwave added to the kitchen. We have met a few neighbors, and the area is very international: we are surrounded by Argentinians, Chinese, Azerbaidjanis, Indians, Poles and even a few Americans too. Sounds very promising for when Madeleine goes to the local elementary school and gets to meet children from all sorts of cultural backgrounds.

Beautiful pool and deck. We even get our very own palm trees!

Family room (with pool view)

Kitchen before the microwave was added above the hob.

Front of house

The formal areas, which we turned into an office and playroom for M.

Towards the breakfast room

Apologies

I can only apologize for the very poor frequency of these posts. It should really be a my August resolution to do this twice-monthly, put the date in my diary, and just do it. So I'll try. No promise but I will try.

The main news since my last entry is the fact that we are in the process of buying our very own American-dream house (we're talking POOL here), in our favourite school district (2 minutes' drive from a fab elementary). Everyhting is in place and we should be getting the keys on Monday, moving in the following week.
Otherwise M is starting school full time next week at a French-speaking pre-school, the cats have put on weight after being fed too much by the cat sitter during the 3 weeks we were away, we saw practically all the family in Europe during our trip there, we got cold on a beach in France (retreated to a cafe for a warm crepe), but right now it is warmer in Northern France than in Houston. Go figure. Oh, and we also spent a week in Iceland on the way back to Houston.

In Iceland, at Lake Myvatn

Road Trip part 1

One of the great things about North America is the fantastic road trips that can be had pretty much anywhere. Just pack the car and drive. It's as simple as that (well maybe not THAT simple when you travel with a toddler, but still, because you can take all you need in the car, including built-in entertainment for your daughter in the shape of two willing grandparents it remains very doable).

So last month we packed my car (aka the tank) and headed towards New Mexico for a couple of weeks. We decided to drive there from Houston, rather than fly and then rent a car. It took 3 days to reach the TX/NMbordr, and we then had 9 days to explore the state before driving back home in a couple of days.

Here is a first slideshow of the first few days...

Click to see road trip slideshow

Rodeo time

The rodeo is an event not to be missed in the annual Houston calendar. It lasts for about 3 weeks at this time of year, and involves quite a lot... It is an agricultural show with cows, sheep and pigs, a carnival with lots of rides, a huge food court where you can eat anything (including deep-fried oreo cookies and pizzas on a stick), pig races, a pop concert, and a rodeo competition, all rolled into one big day out.

Highlights of yesterday included:
-an enormous long horn cow
-chicks hatching from their eggs right in front of our eyes
-mutton bustin (involving kids riding on running sheep and trying to hang on as long as they can-probably would be banned in the UK because of health and safety!!)
-calf scrambling (basically, teenagers running after calves and trying to pin them down)
-saddle bronc riding (cowboys trying to stay as long as possible on a horse going crazy)
-bull riding (same as the above, but on a mad bull!).

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Settling in

The settling in process has started. We moved into our new home about two weeks ago, and it is pretty much all in order. I think there are only about 3 cardboard boxes remaining to be sorted out. Everything else is tidied up. Well-done me (and hubby, of course, especially as his bit of the closet was tidied a lot faster than mine. he's got less stuff though).

The weather has been yo-yoing quite a lot. One day it's 27 and you eat outside thinking it's summer, and the next it's pouring down. That's winter in Houston. Warm enough on most days for M to play outside with water, which is something she hardly ever got to do in Scotland.

On an American note, my lovely cupcake maker (curtesy of my MIL) has arrived and is going to be tried this very afternoon. Looking forward to that.

And of course it's the superbowl this weekend. We are not into it at all (should probably try to I guess)... Apparently we are supposed to sit on the couch and eat wings whilst watching an advert with David Beckham in it. Should be interesting.

Sunshine, cookies, and a garden (ooops I meant backyard). Pretty good so far.

First impressions

We made it to Houston a few days ago. The search is on for a house and a second car (we managed to lease one already) whilst we stay at a furnished apartment and then at a friend's house next week. Our container should be delivered in about a week, as it is now clearing customs at the port.

Time to share those "first" impressions after 14 months away...

-Houston still smells of Houston. There are places with a particular smell (or, more likely, all places have a smell) and this is one of them. H reckons it is the smell of humidity in the air. Quite possibly. I like the smell of pine trees you get in some areas here.
-Everything is still very familiar, including driving an automatic. I can still find my way!
-The sunshine we were after is here indeed. Our daughter has been playing outside in the park, in a beautiful warm sunshine. We even had lunch outdoors on Tuesday.
-Country music on the radio!! Yay!
-I'm waking up very early and I don't even seem to mind too much. For those who know me that's a huge thing.

Maylis
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It all seems so familiar. In fact it IS almost as if we haven't been away. Settling back has been helped a lot by knowing the way around - where the major routes are, the supermarkets, where things are in the supermarkets, what the brands are, even little things like the times of news and weather on the local TV stations.

There don't seem to be many differences from the last time we were here. The most noticeable things is the trees - I'd read about the drought and how it had affected them, and there do seem to be a fair number of dead-looking trees around. It probably won't be until spring that this really becomes obvious, when those perished will be missing new green foliage.

Hugh

New year

Tomorrow, we are emigrating.

Suitcases filled, online check-in done, outfits for tomorrow ready.
Many feelings gone through, and probably many more tomorrow morning.
Excitement, hopes, dreams, some anxiety and nervousness too.

It's a special new year for us, the start of the next chapter in our lives.
We wish everyone something new and positive in their lives too.

The what and the why

"On 30 October last year we left Houston. The plan was to live in Scotland for a while, and then hopefully get the opportunity to try out another country in the future.

In a week and a half, on 2 January 2012, we are moving back to Texas, on a long-term basis.

It is difficult to explain what happened in our heads between these two dates, but one thing is for sure: we really liked our life in Houston and we want it back.

Do not get me wrong, Scotland is an extraordinary place, with landscapes beyond belief, magnificent winter light and a capital city which has to be one of the most attractive places in the world. It is also very cold, very expensive, and a terribly depressing place on a dark winter day. There was no summer this year, and most weekends seemed to be too rainy/cold/snowy (delete as appropriate) to be able to do anything. So yes, the Houston sunny skies appealed. A lot.

Then there were many other factors at play, amongst which the education of our daughter, the general quality of life, the international communities, opportunities at work, the price of real estate, etc... Oh, and the fact that we simply, really, like America. Maybe it is as simple as that. Living in a place you like and is good for you.

Of course it will be very hard for our families; we understand completely that they will miss us a lot. But we have decided to open a new chapter, live our lives the best we can, build something that belongs to us. We can only hope that they, along with our friends, will support us. The big long roads of Texas beckon, the big long road of our life awaits, come along for the ride."

Maylis
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"So here starts Texas take 2. After just over one year of interlude, where we did a lot of soul searching on what we wanted from where we chose to live, this is where we've decided we'd like to settle for the foreseeable future.

Edinburgh is a special city, but our views and perceptions changed while we were away. We changed - we went back as 3 instead of 2 for a start. Things that didn't bother us before now did - difficult parking, damp cold weather, grey landscapes and expensive living space amongst them.

And then the question of if not Edinburgh, then where? Stay in the UK? Try somewhere new? Where? Far East? Australia? At the end of the day, Houston seemed to come out on top. Sure, there will be things that annoy - having to drive everywhere, oppressive summers, superficiality, poor TV. But on balance it's somewhere we know we can settle that will provide a good quality of life. And it seems right to find somewhere like that to settle now. I realised just recently that in the 20 years since I moved away from my parents, I've lived at 15 different addresses.

So now back to Houston. Somehow it seems like we never even left."

Hugh