settling in...

Hello my dears. Just wanted to send a quick update (though I’m not sure if anyone is even checking this!) It started out really hard week, that ended up really fun. Monday and Tuesday I really had my first “oh no, I am completely alone over here” moments. It was really hard leaving work, and having NOTHING to do, knowing I can’t run over to Mom’s, go to dinner with Dad, go play Mario at Joe’s, or go watch tv at Allison’s  Right when I started to get really sulky though, some new friends from work, Dan and Wayne, called me to hang out Tuesday night, so that made me feel better! We went to a little club where there was a jazz band playing.

Wednesday, our social buddies from work arranged a dinner in East London, at an Indian Restaurant. I’ve had Indian food a few times in Athens before, but this was SO much better! Friday night, we went out for our boss’ “leaving do,” then went to central London to hang out. We found a place with pool tables, and I beat my English friend 3-0! Danny taught me well! Saturday (yesterday), our social buddies from work took me and the other American social workers to sightsee in Central London. We went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, then to the Tower Bridge and Tower of London, then took a boat road up the Thames River, all the way to the Parliament building/Big Ben area. Then we walked through Green Park to Buckingham Palace. I looked for Prince William, but no luck finding Prince Baldy yet!

I guess I should talk about work for a bit! I’m still in “induction” (“training”) mode. We had different classroom trainings three days this week, and spent the other days in the office with our team. For the next three weeks, I’ll have training a few times per week, and then I immediately begin on duty. My team has had a slow few weeks, which is really good, but also scary because I have not been able to observe anything I’ll actually be doing. From the sounds of it though, it’s nothing I haven’t done before, just slightly different (and you know, trying to be a social work in a culture I’m unfamiliar with).

Other than that, not much new to report! I’ll be moving in to my new flat this week-I can’t wait! I hope you all are doing well. I miss you more than words can say!