away in a manger

Ok, not in a manger, but away. Immediately following Terrible Tuesday, I went north. (Just like the US going to Canada!) Took my first holiday/vacation here and we drove to the beautiful Northumberland part of England and onto bonnie Scotland for a week.

We got back and I immediately went deep into my second course for life coaching, which ended last night. So, gentle readers, I have not forsaken you! (and it has nothing to do with the newly installed digital TV in the house, meow, that was so craftily suggested by ANONYMOUS. Cheeky.)

Is weird to come back 'home' to Cambridge after vacation -- it made this much more my home than anything else could. No matter how much one enjoys traveling and being new places, the home bed is always best. And I so do love the slumber.

Autumn is nowhere near as breaktaking here as it is in the states, but I've been able to wear a few winter accessories and feel the much-loved cold on my head. But, we had our first frost over the weekend, and I road on a train for 90 minutes without heat at 0:dark early and understood a little why some people hate the cold. Chattering teeth, zah zh zzzz.

My course was once again, wonderful, inspiring and life changing. I am with the same group of 20 or so people that I was with before, and it is so gratifying to see everyone grow as coaches and to get to know them as humans. We practice coach on each other, with real issues, so the level of intimacy and connectedness is unique and gentle. We will go through the whole program together and this bond is really cool. I like having friends from Sweden, Mongolia, England, South Africa and Canada. (Once again, the lone American to suffer though the American jokes with a stiff smile.) At one point after an especially intimate, emotional exercise in class, the instructor asked what the class thought the point of it was, and someone yelled out, "To become Americans!" Hardy har har. It is weird that it is a GIVEN to make American jokes here. And it is even odder to be the cheese standing alone at the punchline. I'd like to develop thicker skin on this. It inconceivable to me to make a slur like that, let alone when I know someone of that creed, nationality, etc was in the room.

I might have some educating to do. Or example to be. Although, as most of you can imagine, I am not one to keep my mouth shut when a pithycomment could be made or joke to be told. So I tend to probably be seen as the sassy American. Which I am.

I interviewed for 2 flunky jobs immediately upon my return-- one for Sure Start, modeled after Head Start... and I did not get that one. The other was for a receptionist in a Surgery -- a.k.a. a GP doctor office. The twist I found out about at the interview is that it is 100% for homeless and those in danger of becoming homeless. Hmmm. Am I brave enough? Is this a good match? I want a job to keep me engaged with people and to make some friends. They expained that often times, the patients are drunk or on drugs at the time they come in. This does not sound like me. As hard as it is to admit, I do not think I would be very good or happy in that job. So, back to the internet search for a position.

How is America? I have heard from some of you, with links to stories and snippets. Are people deflated or still fired up to make a change? I must admit, I am glad to not live there right now. I do not know how I would handle it. The further I am away, the better perspective I get, and it just makes me sad and pissed.

Still working on locking in my coaching practice domain name. I have scrapped the ones I had before as none were resonating with what I want my coaching to be and who I am. They were just names. Based on some excellent feedback from my course mates, I am working on others. Prepare to vote.

Happy almost Thanksgiving. Not sure what I'll be doing over here, but I invision a warm meal with warm Mark. I'll be feeling grateful for where I am in my life, and for where I can go, and for all the perfect friends and family I have who support me and keep me spicy.