8 Lessons from a Week in the UK

I hope you’ve taken time to get away. Trips mean even more after our Pandemic experiences.

Family drive you crazy - and you love them ever more

My children wilted quickly in the heat and were hardly warriors on foot: the moaning was hard to take. But seeing my daughter in raptures at the Harry Potter studios and my son in heaven amid the dinosaurs of the Natural History Museum are moments none of us will ever forget.

The grass is greener – except when it’s scorched

There’s something about travelling in another country where you notice what you like better even if it’s because it just makes a nice change. I loved the incredible diversity of people in London compared to Chicago and its suburbs. I loved the public transport. I love the free museums, the national health care, the absence of debate about the public needing assault weapons, and better manners.

But the crazy heat and no air conditioning was really hard especially with children. It stunk to get two emails telling me that train journeys I’d booked for my family had been cancelled! And the drought literally scorched the grass dry beyond anything I remember.

The Queen doesn’t fully deserve Buckingham Palace - but JK Rowling Has Earned Every Penny of Harry Potter Studios

At the risk of upsetting admirers of her Majesty, I struggled to get excited walking through Buckingham Palace thinking at times that Elizabeth got lucky sperm. While she probably has brought joy to many, it was much easier for me to celebrate the success of JK Rowling whose imagination and writing talent created an incredible world (below my daughter loving Diagon Alley)

Sometimes it’s so easy to make your kids really happy

We overslept and missed breakfast one morning but my wife sweettalked the staff into finding my daughter’s favorite food in the kitchens.

It makes me really sad that family has to age

We had a family get-together. I hadn’t seen my cousin for seven years and hadn’t seen anyone since pre-Covid. Afterwards I felt sad noticing how even three years can make a big difference. My uncle now has Alzheimers, my aunt seemed depressed and everyone – like you and yours too – had felt plenty of pain during the Pandemic.

Fish and chips is the meal of champions – even if the only option for greens is in the aquarium

Take carry-on baggage – unless my family is last to board the plane (!)

We saw all the news about people not getting their checked luggage. We packed very light and this made such a difference to the ease of getting around the UK. Every day we were grateful we did this.

Holidays are worth it – the experiences live forever

I expect you know this already too but just in case the reminder is timely, our kids will remember little of their school years and so much of their vacations and experiences.

To more experiences!

Matt

Copyright Matt Anderson, 2022.