Keep It Simple

**This was supposed to be the first post but I got stuck and didn't know what to say. There's more to it than this but at least it's done now!

I moved to the US from the UK to get married in 2003. As we planned our wedding I was struck by how often I had to say "I was thinking of something more...simple" to the florist, the cake lady, the assistants at the bridal store. A lot has changed since then, but I still crave simplicity in my life.

Within this nine years, we were lucky enough to spend 18 months living back in Britain, in London, one of my favourite places in the world (or what I have seen of it so far). I was and still am often asked about where I prefer to live and why. Everyone wants to hear that I prefer the place that they are from - at "home" in the UK people wanted to hear how happy I was to be back, in the US they wanted reassurance that I was looking forward to returning. We DID come back to the US and I was able to assess living in the two places as follows - life in the US is easy, life in the UK is simple. I think I had always seen the two as synonymous, but have realised that this is not the case. Perhaps my desire for simplicity in life is homesickness in disguise...

Let me try to explain...It's EASY to get lunch in the US, there are a hundred different places in driving distance. But simple? No...you want a sandwich? White or Wheat? Mayo? Cheese - American, Cheddar, Swiss, Pepperjack? Whole or half? Do you want a side? Fruit? Salad? Chips? I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but the constant decision making that results from the myriad choices Americans seem to want is exhausting. The cereal aisle at the supermarket is another example. I think I might count the options next time I'm there. Sometimes I would like a little dose of good old British "that's fine, thanks" rather than what I see as the requirement to customise every single area of my life. A little "that's fine" goes a long way to making life more simple and less stressed. I actually don't think the people around me realise how stressful their lives are, or if they do, they don't know why this is the case. Choice is a good thing, but too much choice can be crippling.


My desire is to try to achieve a simpler life while living here in this far from simple culture. At the same time I realise that I want to fit in and not stand out (well, not too much anyway. I hope I never lose my accent). So some of the things that I find baffling are going to become a part of my life. I like my life here. But I liked my life there too! I really hope I can combine the things I like here with the things I liked there. And do it in a simple way....