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In the spirit of keeping up-to-date, now that my trip is almost over! Last night, Katie and Jennie and I had the most wonderful meal at another restaurant. The curries here in Bradford are unmatched! I feel like I have known these two women forever and we always try to find time to go out…

Everyone knows I am a foodie. I blame it all my mother for being such a fantastic cook and always encouraging us to eat eat eat and eat some more. We were all four tall, lanky, bottomless pits, consuming now what I know is a remarkable amount of food! (unfortunately that has caught up with…

This past Friday was such a lovely day out. I got to the rescue early to do kitty cottage duty and we set off around 10. When I say “we” I mean the Friday volunteers Serena, Carol, and of course Katie and Flora. We made our way to Pately Bridge, a quaint little town in…

Just a reminder it is cats that got me here. If you remember or read my firsts posts you’ll know it was one cat that initially got me here, Manisha. I always think of her and am grateful her story brought me to visiting the rescue, meeting Katie, and being able to make these trips…

Friday I did my usual Kitty Cottage shift and we (Friday morning volunteers) went to lunch. This is something the group does fairly often on Fridays and I have always appreciated them including me, as they have for all my trips here. They certainly don’t have to! Ha. We went to the most lovely place…

Tuesday I returned to volunteering at the rescue in the mornings and sadly had to also return to my paying job. I am grateful to be able to work remotely and keep my regular US work hours though. Otherwise, I couldn’t do a trip like this. Thursday, I decided to take the day off from…

After the busy weekend I wasn’t sure about going out but it was Labor Day and I felt I should take advantage of the day off work. England has what are called “market towns” with long standing markets held on specific days of the week. When I say long standing I mean Selby received its…

I have been in England over a week now and have gone back-and-forth about whether to do this blog. I do like having a record of my trip. However, I don’t always have time to write. A colleague suggested I don’t have to write details but start with at least some pictures. So we’ll see.…

The days flew by on this trip. They always do but I really lived in the moment and soaked up every minute. I had the most amazing time and must thank Katie for her hospitality and all the plans. We had a blast! Saturday we took a day trip to Blackpool. It’s errr ….an experience!…

It’s been a really busy week. With volunteering in the morning and working until 8:30pm the days go by quickly. After volunteering Sunday I took a steam train to Haworth. It is the home of the Bronte sisters. A quaint little town but unfortunately very touristy. Wednesday we went to Ripley castle, which had outstanding…

The UK has had a big storm with high winds and lots of rain. Consequently, we decided this would be a good “day off” from the rescue. I did ride back in rain yesterday but am not keen to tackle gale force winds on the bicycle. Yesterday after my stint at the rescue I went…

Well, I have been volunteering at the rescue each morning since Tuesday, so 3 days in. It goes without saying that I miss home, Sara, and all our critters. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good routine. It is wonderful that everything here, including the daily routine, is familiar —my apartment, getting around,…

Our last day in Edinburgh we toured the castle. All I could think about is how the view must have looked in the 1600s as compared to the tourist nightmare that now unfolds beneath it. We then spent the afternoon in Leith, on the outskirts of town and right on the water. We visited an…

For my American friends, it is pronounced “Edin-bruh”. I have heard it enough from our local tour guides and it is ingrained in me now. Before the trip, I read on google “Edin-burah” but that’s not correct. From a tour guide I learned the city has a population of about 500,000–the entire country only 5…

A few people asked if I might continue my blog for the trip so I will give it a whirl. We left our house full of senior pets with an expected bit of worry, but more excitement and faith in our wonderful sitter. Traveling all night and being up over 24 hours is not fun…

I spent the majority of last week with my family in Georgia. I took them a side of beef, freshly butchered. I also helped my near 80 year old parents navigate the internet, just installed, as well as a brand new iPad. It has been nearly 48 hours since my departure and I have not…