Coffee Talk: My Trip to the UK, my Favorite Season, and a Big Announcement


Good morning! I have returned and getting back to the swing of things, recovering from my big trip, and facing a new life journey. There's a lot to cover, so let's get into it.




I returned home at nearly midnight on October 10th, nine days after boarding a plane for the UK. It was an AMAZING trip, everything I had hoped it would be, but it would be an understatement to say it was exhausting. I spent my last three days of vacation lying in a puddle in my home, barely able to move. I tore the bicep in my left arm picking up my backpack suitcase when I got dropped off at the airport - although I didn't know that until I returned home; I caught a sinus infection halfway through the trip; and I walked 20k steps a day while I was gone as I ran all over London and elsewhere just getting to places. Combine all three of these and I felt a level of exhaustion I have never felt before.

Regardless, it was worth every bit of the aftermath and I feel reinvigorated in a way I haven't felt in a long time. The picture above is from my day at Stonehenge & Bath, arguably one of the best days of my life. I saw so many things that I had always wanted to see, ate things I always wanted to eat, and just soaked in every second of what life presented me. 

To seeing London from the 38th floor, taking an evening cruise on the River Thames, checking out Sherlock Holmes' digs, partying with the locals in Cardiff, viewing an ancient temple to a Roman god, following in the macabre footsteps of Jack the Ripper, to eating Sticky Toffee pudding, the UK will not soon be a place I will forget.

I will have a series of posts about the trip but that will be at a later date as I have other posts on the fire that need to come first.






Overnight, Autumn arrived and I couldn't be more excited. You all know it's my favorite season and this year it, literally, happened overnight. It was in the 80s for the two days following my return and, then, the next day we had 60s during the day and 30s at night. I had to scrape my car windows this morning. It was wonderful to put on long pants and a light jacket again. Soon, the leaves will begin to change and it will be time for my annual Autumn Drive to soak it up. Of course, a trip to the pumpkin patch is also on my horizon.




Now I come to my big news. On the morning I flew out to the UK, I had an interview for another position at my employer. While I was gone, they offered me the job and I accepted. On the 1st of November, I'll be moving back out of student financials and back into academics. I'm excited, to say the least, and I'm gaining a big pay increase. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. This will be my fourth position with the University I work for, and I really feel that I can now consider this my final one before I move into retirement.


The past few weeks have been a whirlwind and I'm still amazed how it all came together. I'm ready for the future, both personally and professionally. Look out world, I'm finally back - I mean really back.










 

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