Last week we flew back to the States for Thanksgiving. We went from this…

to this…

…within 2 days. We were in Tucson for part of the week and then flew back to Boulder to have a peek at the house. That’s when Paul got a chance to start up the snow blower before we left. It was great to see most of my family members, and do a lot of American-style shopping and eating!

Things are a a bit strange at the moment because Paul had to fly back to the USA 2 days after returning here from our Thanksgiving trip. His mom has needed to go into a nursing home and he’s gone to our hometown in upstate NY to help his dad cope with everything. Paul will be there for the next 2 weeks and I should be joining him Christmas week. (We already had a trip there booked for the holidays.)

So, for the second time this year, I find myself across the Atlantic from Paul at a time when he is under pressure and stress. Last winter it was him going to the UK first and having to dive right in to a really tough work situation. It is frustrating not being able to help him one bit!

Since I have the car all to myself (we have been sharing it and most of the time Paul takes it to work) I will take the opportunity to travel back to the border of Wales to visit Donna Chaney next week, if we can work out a good day. We want to do some overglaze paint work together with her china painter. I think I’m going to add a couple extra days and do a Big Castle Tour. Paul just isn’t as enchanted with ruined castles as I am, so I might as well do them now! (Depending on the weather.) I have to bring the Boyz with me, but fortunately I have discovered that the budget motel chain Travelodge over here is pet-friendly. Their rooms are totally no-frills but also pretty low cost.

As I was telling some friends the other day: It is so bizarre being here alone… in a place I’d longed to visit for years and never thought I’d get to have this much time in… yet feeling more than a little timid about driving around to places a couple hours away by myself. I have always been a really fearless solo traveler but for some reason being over here makes me feel less safe. Especially in December when the days are so short. I wish I had met someone over here to do things with at least!

But I discussed my reservations with Paul and he told me to Go For It and Just Do It, etc.. I know how to be careful on my own and I don’t think the UK outside London should be all that scary! I have work to finish up this week and then ROAD TRIP!

For those of you who care about this sort of thing (still not sure that I do) I have now got a page on Facebook. I joined using my full name (Karen Yungkurth Gerhardt) in case anyone was looking for me via my maiden name. I have zero friends, ha ha.