But you can never take London out of the girl! Or so the saying goes.
It has been nearly 6 years since leaving London, I was smitten from the very first time I stepped foot in that amazing city. I have from an early age always wanted to go, so I could visit the Queen (as one does) and then in my teens it was to nanny and travel Europe.
Like many things in life it didn't quite go to plan. I arrived in my late twenties with four year old Bell and my then (now ex) husband. We had sold our business and spent the previous couple of months travelling the US and came to Europe via a Trans Atlantic Cruise, stopping off in Portugal and Spain along the way. A quick Easy Jet flight landed us in London, where we played tourist before buying a campervan and travelling around England, Ireland and Wales for 6 months.
Once Visa's were secured we settled in Cambridge, but the call to London was too strong and after 6 months we made our way to South West London where we found a Victorian Terrace to rent and me a great job.
The marriage didn't work out, but my love affair with London did. I met Mr H in London, along with wonderful life long friends. We started planning a family but I wanted to raise them back home in NZ.
We can't wait to go back for a visit. Go back to places we loved to visit when it was just Mr H, Bell and I, visit where I worked, see Mr H's family and our friends. To visit where we first met.
I LOVE London!
Below are some treats that were sent to me by Tracy from Mad about Bags. We took part in Kimberley's Share your Country Swap.
Tracy cottoned on to the fact that I love London and Tea and based my parcel around these themes.
I think she has put together the most wonderful things and I'm in the love with the Buckingham Palace trinket. And the handmade tea bags, look at those!!! I had so much fun unwrapping everything. Tracy you couldn't have picked a better theme if you tried.
Thank you Kimberley for organising such a great swap and to Tracy for being such a wonderful swap partner.
Lots of great swaps going on in blog land at the moment.
So tell me, is there somewhere in the world that you have always wanted to visit?
Have you been to an amazing city or country that you are absolutely smitten with?
Hope you are having a great week!
oh wow BEAUTIFUL ♥ LUCKY you XO
ReplyDeleteoh an I would love to go to London I especially want to shop in Cath Kidston store ....aghh drool
DeleteWOW! Such an amazing package of divine items. ADORE the fabric! Those Buck. palace trinket boxes were in loads of posh houses I visited - they were called something else though. Tracy's sewing is divine! I have lived in London too (Shepherd's Bush - ha!) and worked at a high school - my first ever school library job. My favourite countries are Slovenia and the Netherlands (I could live in NL easily but not Amsterdam.) Fav. city in the world Melbourne hands down! (lived there too - husband wanted to come back I didn't and still pine for it 10 years on...)
ReplyDelete…I learn a little bit more about my blogger friends each and every day. Life isn't always what we plan but it makes us who we are. You're life is blessed Elaina.
ReplyDeleteAnd these treats are lovely. I'm so disappointed i didn't join this swap. Pls let me know when the next is on x
What beautiful little treasures to remind you of one of the best cities in the world! I LOVE London too. We are so lucky to be spending a few days there this year. I can't wait to show the children around and see it a little bit through their eyes. With at least a few stops to some markets of course! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely blog. Also to the insight into your life. Isn't life strange where we end up and our journey there.
ReplyDeleteI have traveled and lived in various places too, currently calling the Highlands home. My favourite country so far being Italy, love the Tuscan countryside and Verona and Sienna are my favourite cities.
Think the swop idea is fantastic wish I'd been part of one.
Annie x
wow you are fabulously travelled and you miss London? My father is a Londoner, East End, so I spent many years there, visiting, briefly living as a child and I still have cousins that are embroiled in the East End life, that's not the glamour that the tv programme EastEnders portrays either! I did take my children when they were small when we lived in Kent and we went on the last slam door train to operate into London, real nostalgia, but London to me is noisey, smelly, busy and expensive! I have visited and lived in a few places around Europe, but I am a home girl at heart and never happier than here in rural Herefordshire with the river, cows and pigs. I think I might have swopped my travelling shoes for wellies and mud!
ReplyDeletewhat a great gift xx
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful things to have received!! xx
ReplyDeleteYou are so well traveled! Lovely to hear a bit about your time in London, it sounds interesting. I see why you love it so much and these treats are just perfect for you. Copenhagen got under my skin when we visited it last year, I'd love to go back sometime. x
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how life turns out isn't it! I would never have met my husband if I hadn't broken my elbow all those years ago. And although I was devastated at the time as it meant the end of my police career I wouldn't be where I am today without him. I'm so glad you liked everything, you made it very easy for me with your love of tea and london. I will let you know as soon as my swap parcel arrives xxx
ReplyDeleteWOW what an amazing swap package to receive! Tracy did so very well . . . I LOVE LONDON . . . and I'm so glad we had the oppourtunity to go back two years ago and take the children. Lil Miss 4 at the time was in awe of Buckingham Palace and insisted on waiting to see the Queen lol until we told her maybe she was at her holiday home in Windsor and took the kids to Lego land and stopped at Windsor Castle on our way. London has my heart that is for sure
ReplyDeleteYou've had an interesting life! My husband and I have done a fair amount of traveling in the US (we have visited all of the states except Alaska), but really want to do international travelling. We have a couple of more years until the little babe is old enough (I'm not packing diapers), but we're ready and dreaming now! And New Zealand is definitely on the list of places we want to visit!
ReplyDeleteWow what an amazing package to receive!!! Great to read more about your story too :) Cant wait to visit Europe and the UK one day! ONE DAY! beautiful items to remind you of a place you love x
ReplyDeleteWhat a great swap package. I'm enchanted by all the British fabrics in the projects.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome swap, must look into swaps more cos i love them. My kids can't wait to go to UK one day, my sis in law just got engaged to english man and is living in London and when we got the call I didn't even say congratulations, all i remember saying was "so do we get a trip to London for the wedding then" but she said no, damn it!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great gift! I'm lucky to have been to some pretty cool places in the world, but I do dream about going back to Paris to live for a year to learn to speak french :)
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely package!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the weekend!
What a fabulous package friend! Those tea bags are too cute as is that heart! She did such an outstanding job connecting her gift to what you love! And I do love hearing that story about you and London...ahhh...there are so many places I have yet to see that I would like to explore! So inspiring! Here is to a wonderful weekend! Nicole xoxo
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