For Ashton’s 14th birthday, Jess and the kids flew to London for a whirlwind 3 day adventure.  The real purpose of the trip was to see Hamilton, Wicked, and as much of downtown London as we could fit in.  I loved being there!  It was so neat to be able to speak English, ask questions, get help and understand things.  I loved the cool weather, the plants that reminded me of Washington (dandelions, ivy, magnolia, pine), and the parks, woods, and trees.  I loved that we could find coffee there and walk around with cups of it (unlike the tiny espresso we drink in one gulp while standing at the bar here in Italy).  I loved all the people from a variety of cultures and languages around us, as well as the variety of clothing and hair colors (we totally fit in there and didn’t stand out as Americans).  I loved learning how to navigate the buses and subway system, exploring the museums, statues, palaces and buildings, and seeing so many interesting things.  We LOVED Hamilton!!!!  We did not love that we froze during what turned out to be a very cold and wet few days, and we definitely didn’t like that people constantly, everywhere we went, seemed to be in a huge hurry, walking very quickly all around us (unlike in Italy, where leisure, relaxing, and slow strolling is the norm).  I really want to go back, first to see Hamilton again and then to explore smaller towns in the countryside!