Collages of 2020 Five Months in England

 WEYMOUTH and ABBOTSBURY and WEST BAY - DORSET

GONNA TRY IT AGAIN!

Although I love my 3-bedroom apartment in Vegas, and love having my stuff all around me again: collectibles, beautiful furnishings and antiques ... I still feel the pull to finish my dream journey that was cut short by the pandemic.  So September First I’m off again! IF!

And although it means I’ll have to put all my things in storage again and give up the apartment, if the new trip I’ve planned comes to fruition, I’ll do whatever’s necessary. And when I complete the journey, I may or may not come back to live in Vegas. 

So take a look at my new blog and follow me, from this point forward if you like.  New journey blog - Discovering Myself in Other Cultures.

discoverothercultures.blogspot.com

(Discover other cultures)

There you’ll find my itinerary and will hear all about journey as it unfolds. I also have the link to my blogs on my Facebook profile. 

Ciao and be strong, and here’s hoping it works this time!

Rebecca ❤️

FIFTH DAY IN VEGAS!

Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!  Is that the saying?  Ha! Well not in my life, I tell all. ❤️❤️❤️❤️.  Yes, it’s been 5 days since I’ve returned from England. It’s good to be back in the USA, can’t deny that. Of course all the pandemic and now riots over the George Floyd death are consuming the country and its people, and the news media. The last three months out of six in England were in isolation from COVID19, and now that’s lifting here, but the country is still in turmoil. Tragic and sad. 

This morning I received a text from the Nevada Health Dept., requesting I sign an agreement to self-quarantine for 14 days (9 to go), which I had already begun. They sent it electronically, I did a docu-sign. So I am formally in quarantine. Doesn’t bother me at all. We know that I’m somewhat of a recluse anyway. This gives me a legitimate excuse. 

I’m missing my favorite British detectives’ series non-stop on ITV3 in England. Haven’t found anything to replace that here. I may have to watch them on my MacAir, Netflix or Acorn Apps. There are 200+ channels on this TV in the motel where I’m staying till I find an apartment. But nothing is appealing to me yet, though something will emerge. 

Okay, what’s happening in the now ... well other than stuffing Vick’s Vapor-rub up my nose for sinus congestion, and drinking coffee at the moment, I’ve been doing all I can to facilitate a smooth move into the apartment, when it happens - timing is important. Target date is 26th of this month.  I’ve ordered MyPillow mattress toppers for two beds; new bedspreads and sheets for three beds; towels for two bathrooms. They will all be shipped to me here at the motel. My plan is to rent a car for two weeks when I go apply for the apartment, and then to move all the stuff from the motel, and shop for a few things I might need till Kelly comes with my stuff from storage in July. 

Because I don’t have beds or dining table ... left those in my place in Cambria for Alex to use in the rental - daybeds and dining set, didn’t want them anymore, time to move on to something else ... for now I’ll rent beds and dining table at least for a year, until I buy what I want. So as soon as I have an address, Cort Furniture Rentals has next-day delivery, and I’ve already made my selections. And also at the same time I’ll order and buy from Wayfair already selected chairs and sofa for living room, which I don’t have in storage either. I must say I’m excited about all this newness. A new beginning, a new place to live in a new city, new furniture, and a new and exciting future!

In the meantime, I’m using Von’s grocery delivery and restaurant take-out delivery, just as I will in the apartment, setting up accounts and getting familiar with them now. And since I’m in quarantine, that works really well.  

So I’m okay, hope you all are too, and we’ll talk later.  See you on Facebook, my main way to communicate. For those of you who have my cell number, texts work, and so does Messenger, and WhatSApp. I use all three. Don’t care for phone calls. 

Much Love to you all .... ❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

Rebecca B.

FOUR DAYS TO BYE BYE

Yes, in four days I’ll be saying goodbye to Weymouth and Abbotsbury friends.  It’s been quite different Than the year-long journey in the UK and Europe that I had planned, being sequestered two months of it. But I still enjoyed this six months in England, and I’ll return to do more traveling in other places another time.

So, it’s onward to my new life of living in Las Vegas, Nevada, next week. I figure it’ll take a month to set up an apartment rental and get the ball rolling on furnishing it with both new Wayfair furniture (have an account) and with previous belongings from my storage in California. One day at a time, I’m telling myself again, like I was last October when I began packing to leave Cambria. Slow and steady.

And now it’s all coming together. At last.  I see how it has come to this moment, how everything happens for a reason just as I’ve always believed. How this all began several years ago ... I can see where I was in my thinking then,  and can now see how it has materialized to something I’ve wanted for a long time. Amazing! Hindsight is much easier than knowing the future, however. So, I only know I’m on the right track to possibly a peaceful AND a fruitful future in a place I feel I will thoroughly enjoy.

This time next week I’ll have been in Vegas a night and day. Should be over the jet-lag and starting to plan the next steps in this girl’s life!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

COVID-19 IN PLACE

Yes, I’m in place, waiting out the UK COVID edicts.  I moved upstairs to a more spacious room than before, has a table and a chair. And a bigger fridge. Even two windows for cross-draft, two twin beds besides my queen. Very roomy. Larger clothing cupboard too ... and bathroom. But Internet is sketchy. Drives me crazy.

So here I am. Still making changes, still figuring it out as I go. So please bear with me on my ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ modus operandi. I’ve decided to return to the States on the 27th of this month. I may as well sit in a hotel there as here.  Las Vegas is opening up soon and I can start looking for an apartment and get on with my life, time’s a wastin’! Am eager to get on with it.  So I’ll leave Weymouth on May 27 by train for Heathrow.  Am booked into a hotel near Heathrow airport, and will take an early flight out on the morning of the 28th, will arrive in Vegas at 5:00pm. YES! Trains, planes, hotels are booked. Ready and waiting, just like me.

YES!  YES! YES!  I decided not to drag it on, just for the sake of waiting for places I’ve  been to before to open up here. Would have returned in July anyway, end of 6 months legal stay here. No point in waiting. I’m ready to get on the road again!

So, am planning to stay in a hotel on the strip till my apartment of choice (below) is confirmed and available. Then will order beds to be delivered, and will purchase living room suite. Those and a few other incidental purchases will suffice until I can arrange for furnishings from Calif storage to be delivered. I may make a quick trip to my storage unit myself and get a few things I’ll need right away.

By August or September, moving all my stuff from storage will be scheduled to arrive. By November for completion and then will be able to receive visitors, after all is in place, my friends and sisters.  Not before. Now that is really exciting! You have no idea how I’m feeling at this moment. Very happy!

VEGAS OR BUST!

RECAP AND NEW DIRECTION

It was October First, as I recall, when I made the decision to put all my stuff - furnishings, antiques, collectibles, belongings - in storage and hit the road by January First. I would drive my car to Utah and gift it to my sister. That gave me three months to pack it all, store it, and get underway.

I had sold my property in Cambria the year before, but was still living in the beautiful upstairs apartment over the theatre I had created with the help of my Handy Dandy Kelly three years before.

When my dear feline beauty was no longer (Gawd, I miss him), there was absolutely no reason to remain where I was. I had lived in Cambria three  different times in my life, and I finally felt done with it.

At first I thought it would be great to retire in England, something I’d contemplated over the years but hadn’t researched.  Too bad, because since 2008 the UK hasn’t issued exPat visas to US citizens. So there is no way I could do it since the present list of entry visas excludes me. Other than the regular 6-month stay.

Well then, being the flexible person that I am, I could just travel from one country to another, stay in each country the legal limit and see the world till I was weary of travel. Then pick a place where I want to live in the US.

So I planned it all out and scheduled the first year of travels. England, Ireland, France, QM2 Atlantic Crossing, New York, Maine, Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland. All booked in advance - hotels, flights, trains, etc.

The second week of January, on the road to Utah with my sister Martha McMullen Ross,  we discussed where I might want to settle when I returned. We  spent one night in Las Vegas and we both agreed Vegas should be on my list.  We were traveling from my other sister Mary McMullen Matejcek's home in California on the way to Martha’s in Utah - visiting sisters before my departure. I was delivering Martha and my car to her house and was then boarding a flight from Salt Lake City to Heathrow - the beginning of my elaborate and exciting journey. I left  the US January 15. By the time I reached England, I crossed off the other three town choices and decided on settling in Vegas after the trip. So on with the journey.

My plan was to spend three months in each country, one town a month - that would keep me interested and I'd even experience some new areas I had always wanted to see, as well as revisiting others.

While in Weymouth, England the first month, I changed up the plan somewhat. Cancelled the Northern America excursions, with plans to do all those places at another time. Lost money on that decision. But I wanted to go to Phoenix for Thanksgiving with son. And then to Las Vegas to live. The more and more I thought of it, the more excited I became about Las Vegas.

Then in my second month in England, as planned, in Abbotsbury, I thought maybe I should not stay in Ireland three months. So I re-scheduled one of those months in Scotland and one in Luxembourg  before going to France.  All was well.

Then Coronavirus reared its ugly head and everything changed.

I eventually had to cancel all flights, some were canceled for me, and I booked a flight back to the States for March 28, when my accommodations in Abbottsbury were to end. I had extended Abbotsbury two weeks because its so beautiful - total 6 weeks there.

But nothing was working out for me back in the States, to return to, movers, apartment rentals, etc., costs.  But then the orders to isolate and lock down came down the pike in both countries, so that was easy, I decided to stay put and spend the full 6 months in England on my UK visa.  Lucky for me I was able to get flight refunds and miles credited to my accounts. But I have lost close to additional $5000 on cancelled accommodations. Not good.

Now I was faced with finding a place to stay the remainder of my time. First I decided to book Lyme Regis, and two other towns further west. Then the first two ... Lyme Regis and Torquay in Devon ... cancelled on me due to new UK edicts RE Coronavirus, no refund on Lyme Regis.   So I cancelled the last one in Cornwall because I could see the writing on the wall with ground transportation ... and there you go.  Back to square one. Where to stay close by ...?

Weymouth was most logical since  I know it and have friends here. But, Ha! It was difficult finding a place on budget, located near sea and town. But I found one and grabbed it! I dont care that its small, I dont care that the cleaners may have eyesight problems when it comes to the bathroom floor corners (if it bothers me too much, I'll clean them, I have an extra toothbrush), I dont care if the pillow cases are worn thin (they are sort of cozy soft and I sleep well), I dont care if there isnt a chair in my room, no real problem, there's a vanity stool). As I've already described where I am staying in an earlier post, you already know I'm content. I'll be here till June 26.

On June 26, I move to a nice seafront hotel for 16 nights with lounging rooms and beachview, dining, bar, breakfast included, right near the shops and restaurants. Hopefully by then circumstances will be better and life will be returning to normal.

Then on July 12 for three nights in Wareham, I'll be staying in a 16th C hotel. I'm doing it that way in order to not be rushed and catch a direct train (no changes) to Woking on July 15, and then a hired car to Heathrow and a direct flight to Las Vegas.  End of 2020 travel.

But wait! I’ve more changes since I wrote the above on Facebook. I was sitting here thinking, if the travel is back on in July, then why rush back to the States. Why not at least recoup some of the travel I planned. So after the stay in Wareham, I’ll take a train to Bristol, spend a night and fly to Dublin the next morning. Yes, I’m going to Ireland for three months as originally planned. But here’s a new one I hadn’t planned, I’m going to Belgium for my last two weeks before I fly out of Brussels on Oct 31 to Las Vegas.  THATS THE NEW PLAN. We’ll see how long that lasts.

So thats how I wound up back in Weymouth and where I'm going from here. So far, so good. Actually, it’s all good!

What day is this? I'm confused.

WHAT'S GOING ON NOW?

I can answer that question for me.  Easy.

First I canceled all my traveling plans, could foresee the dilemma of European travel coming, especially air travel when one of my flights was canceled. So at first I felt maybe I needed to get the hell out of Dodge and go back to the States when I could.  So I cancelled all my remaining eight months of accommodations and flights. First premature reaction.

Then I booked an airplane back to the States for March 28, when my stay here in Abbotsbury ends.  Then came the news that all travel would be blocked to the USA.  So I rebooked a flight for the 17th, cancelled the 28th.  Second premature reaction.

Now after seeing what all is happening in the States in towns and cities, Las Vegas included, MEDIA FUELED, I decided I'd just hang out in England till my visa expires on July 15.  So I took a deep breath and relaxed.

Up to now I've had a wonderful month in Weymouth by the seashore, followed by nearly 90 days in Abbotsbury in the rolling green hills of Dorset countryside.  I will leave Abbotsbury as planned on the 28th, but next stop is to an apartment in Lyme Regis on the seafront further west.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY SO FAR ....

HERE ARE A FEW PLACES IVE STAYED SO FAR .... more photos to come.