Mellowing out....or down

It's been a while I know, but I needed to cool off from displacement anxiety. "What?" you say. Let me be honest here. I don't care for London. Not to say London is bad or anything. It's not. It's just that I am NOT a big city person. There. It's out in the open. I freely admit I don't "do" crowds, traffic, noisy people, etc. So I'm definitely in transition (again). It took a few days to cool down from what I really wanted to write.
London will be fun on many levels, but on other levels it is what it is. A huge, bustling metropolis. I am looking forward to the museums and taking trips into the English countryside. I KNOW I love that!! But these things will have to wait a bit. Still learning the bus routes and areas of town. Everything is very close (and compact) so getting around isn't hard. We are VERY thankful we did't bring a car. 3.50 (pounds) for 1 hr parking in a dirt lot. L49 per day. Eek!! We've noticed that not many free spots open up on our street as well. Not having a car is a blessing. Of course it hasn't down poured yet....
I survived my first Embassy entry today. At the beginning of the week we tried to get me in, but to no avail. THis pissed me off greatly. My thinking is "I've served this country for 25 years as a military member, and I can't even get into the Embassy to mail a package?" After Mike emailed a few folk, I got permission to mail them today. My honest opinion is, I do think the security is a BIT over the top. Believe me, I understand the need for it. But to tell me my military issued government no fee passport can't get me in, along with my military ID, to mail a package (they can escort me), was too much. I don't pose a threat. Scan my package for explosive. Whatever. Just let me mail it!! Seriously, do I look like a threat??
There is still a lot of adapting I need to do....I bet you can tell. I wish I could say "oh, it's just they way they are". But this is our people. Our country. Our rules. Shesh.
Had a good local curry for lunch. See, it's not all bad :)