The English Invasion

They're coming.

I met my friends Vince and Helen about 5 years ago through the internet. Although they live in England, Vince and Helen were friends with a few other people I knew at the time and then we started chatting via instant messaging. Over the years, my husband and I have developed a very close friendship with both Vince and Helen. In 2006, I flew to England, for the first time I might mention, by myself to spend a week with them and then last year Paul and I both went over for two weeks. Vince and Helen came to the States in 2008 and now, will be here again in a few hours. This time they are bringing their son Mike and our other good friend from England, Dave. We are spending time here in KC and a week in Jamaica. It will be a fantastic vacation!

As I was thinking about their visit and trying to plan things to do I started to realize how lucky we are. I remember when I was a kid how cool I thought it was to meet anyone who wasn't from Montana, hell anyone who lived in a different town than I did. They were "different" and I loved that. I didn't know anyone who knew people from out of the country with maybe a few exceptions to Canada because we lived just a few hours from the border. I feel like we are lucky because many people become adults with still never knowing anyone from a different culture. Now I realize England isn't a far off nation that is SO different from ours. They are very similar and yet very different from us here in the States. Yet I see how excited the kids friends are when we tell them we have visitors from England coming because its still such a novelty to know someone from outside the USA. I think we are so lucky to not only have found these wonderful friends, but also to be able to expose the kids to a different part of the world.

We are going to England in 2012 for Hayden's graduation present and my -gulp- 40th birthday. It will be so fantastic for the kids to see England and other parts of world but mostly it will be great to spend such important celebrations with some of my favorite people. We are lucky indeed.