Reflections on a Week

Hyrum here.  I thought I'd pop in for a little guest post from the other side of things.  (Well, not really the other side, since Heather and I are on the same side, but let's just call it another perspective.)

We're a week into the 142 Days of Adventure, and quite the week it's been.  From planes to trains to busses and even the London Eye, we've explored London in a way I've never done before.  Even with delayed luggage, rain and a scary oven, it's been a great experience.  While I seem to pass through the city at least once a year, it's been a different experience to live and work here, if only for a short time.  I miss the larger space we have in Pittsburgh, but I've been grateful to realize just how little we really need to live, and to come to know London a little bit more intimately.

In spite of what Heather will say, mother's get no vacation, and she's no exception.  I've been amazed and grateful for how she's adjusted to running a houseful flatful of children in a foreign land, with different food, and in a stranger's kitchen.  Just when I find myself wishing we'd brought a game or a small toy or something else for the children, she pulls it out of a suitcase.  Heather has thought of everything, adapts when she needs to, and never ceases to amaze.

As for me, I've spent every minute not playing with my family working, largely out of Google's London office.  I've given talks, had meetings with colleagues, and also managed to carry on with my normal day job.  My desk for the week overlooks an entrance to Victoria Station, so when I need a break, I can glance up and see the streams of humanity pouring out on to the street below.  It can be a welcome distraction.

Beyond that, it's hard to believe we've only 135 days left in our European Adventure, and less that two weeks left in London.  Even though I know we're not going to be able to see and do everything, and the children may not appreciate everything, I trust we'll be back again.

London from the Eye