We landed into London doing its best London impression: gray white skies, cold but not too cold, a light drizzle, the smell of Spring in the air. Millie and I used our British passports at customs to avoid the fee that they’ve started charging Americans. This was her first time stepping foot on British soil despite being a citizen. I reflected briefly on the absurdity of borders and citizenship in general. Like what are we, gangs of the globe? Mafiosos who decided they control certain territories and pass down protections to their own flesh and blood? Oh that’s literally what politics is? Anyway, I digress.

Despite barely sleeping we managed to avoid any meltdowns and wheeled our bags and weary selves onto the tube. We are staying with old family friends in a neighborhood I’ve visited lots, so it was muscle memory to get from point A to B.

We were exhausted and passed out for a 2-hour recharge nap. Upon waking it was operation: stay awake until sundown to reset our body clocks.

We walked to the local shops to get some healthyish snacks to have on hand (plus smarties and monster munch for good measure). We stopped at a pub to have our first big English meal. Millie ate only dry bread and I said a silent prayer that this year will cure her of her semi-picky eating.

We walked onwards to the park that I used to go to at her exact age. Again, muscle memory kicked in and I found myself able to navigate it without my map. She got some energy out while Nick and I complained about the cold. At one point she saw a pigeon and yelled “What IS that bird!!!?!” We probably didn’t need to fly over an ocean to begin the expansion of her little brain but at least it has started.

As we were walking Nick and I discussed how we hadn’t heard a single adult in the park with an English accent. Everyone was an import from a wide variety of different backgrounds (though seemingly a lot of Russians or perhaps Ukrainians). Again, I thought about the mobility of cultures, citizenship, brexit, wars, and again the mafia for some reason.

We successfully stayed awake until 8pm, showered, and then promptly passed out.