Oct 10
First there was a dream...
Now, there is reality. Moving house is a pain. I'm sure most people have moved house at some point in their lives so we all know there are just under a gazillion things to sort out. Moving country is even worse and there are just over six gazillion things to contemplate and organise. Although I have lived in many different countries, my pending move to San Antonio, Texas seems different somehow. For a start my first visit involved being shot at:Something slightly surreal about walking out of one's hotel and hearing gunshots and smelling cordite. It was an Alamo reenactment weekend but it did make me wonder...
Then I look up and see this:So, 10 minutes into my first visit and I seem to have covered a big swathe of the stereotypical American life (btw, the Alamo reenactment was excellent!).
Turns out my first 10 minutes was an anomaly because since then I haven't seen (too many) examples of how the world sees America and Americans (you know, big, loud and possessed of a remarkable ability to think they are right even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary). Let me tell you something, I couldn't be more British if I tried. I am reserved, abhor public displays of affection in church and my home is my castle. Yet I loved what I saw. There is a level of optimism that is missing in England. I have been welcomed by all and not just because I have a British accent. I want to be part of what I saw and I want to experience more. Over the next few weeks I will be writing about my move to the US. Anything I say should be taken as my simple observations and not as a social essay on different societies. 13 days from now I board a one-way flight to San Antonio, Tx. First, there was a dream. Now, there is a scary reality...
