Been thinking about our time here in the UK. We compiled some of the memories that we’ll not soon forget. However, words alone can’t express the 5 years of great memories we’ve had in Britain. Hopefully, the below photo montage will!

• Taking the 7:54 service into London Bridge and watching the same people queued up each morning, at the same carriage door.
• Taking Vivi on my shoulders and walking to the Hailing Grove park.
• Counting the squirrels with Viva at the Hailing Grove park.
• Learning all the British lingo… back of fag packet calculations, trousers vs pants, etc.
• Learning the driving laws here and having to get a UK license (like a 16 year old… and not passing the driving test the first time)
• Finding that Waitrose has the benefit of a complimentary coffee each day. (We gave them plenty in revenue so no guilt taking the coffee!)
• Attending 2 different churches – one quite traditional and pastorless at the time, and one a bit more relaxed, tiny congregation, but with leadership.
• Visiting all the national trust properties in the southern UK. The best part is they kept giving us complimentary day passes one year.
• Watching the Shard being erected as I passed through London Bridge station each day.
• Seeing the fox just outside our flat, walking casually down the street, on the night we moved into Avondale Road.
• Being the only person on our street to shovel snow off the pavement (sidewalk). I later learned you don’t have to keep the pavement clean here.
• The joys of owning a Victorian era flat especially when the water pipes above the second bedroom broke. Ningning rang me saying we have a flood! And days after we sold the flat, the new owners reported the main bedroom ceiling partially collapsed.
• The joys of owning a Victorian era flat during the wind storms of Dec 2013. Several tiles were dislodged and fell into the neighbors car. I then spent 5 months getting the insurance to make a full payout.
• One, no make that two years of membership at Kid’s Space and taking Vivi to play most evenings. Thanks, team @KidSpace, for making Vivi feel welcome. Without fail, most week nights she and I would go about 18:10, ride the go-carts, and then play til they closed at 19:00.
• Visiting the lovely towns of Brighton, Cambridge, Bournemouth, the Lakes District, Wales, Kent county, Oxford, the Cotswolds and more.
• Playing football in the park with the lads.
• Hosting a small group at our flat.
• Appreciating why the estate agents laughed at us when we requested air con in our property search.
• Using the NHS for Vivian’s birth and the fantastic care we got at Epsom hospital. Thanks, Michella
• Arguing with the mini-cab drivers to/from LHR. They always wanted to go through the City which was painfully slow, stop-and-go, and time-wise longer. The motorway, if clear, was always faster but 15+ miles longer which they hated.
• Starting and finishing our UK time in central London. We started in Park Lane and finished in South Kensington.
• Recalling the extra police presence and vigilance post the Nov 2015 Paris terror attacks. We lived in South Kens right next to the French consulate.
• We took many trips back and forth between the UK and USA. Vivian even cleared United Silver status in 2015! She became a huge fan of the lounge.