Hello!

This Web site contains words and pictures describing the first time I've lived outside of the United States.

Click ``archives'' to see the entries from September through December 2004.

The photos and essays are my impressions of traveling around Europe and working in London. Names and pictures of some people are missing, because I didn't have permission to post their photos! Thus, you won't see many pictures of my work colleagues, although I grew affection for them all.

Hope you enjoy the site!

-- To all my friends who followed my journeys through this blog - thank you! I miss you, and I hope to see you now that I'm stateside! =)

Cheers,

Andrea S. James

We decided to take a side trip to see some sunshine!
Click ``read more’’ to see photos of the Boro girls in Paris!
[Read More!]

. . . And the sun is shining. And there aren't any clouds. And my niece and nephew are watching Jerry Springer!

Last night my family and I ate at a diner. I woke up this morning, and wondered if Europe was all a dream. Because everything here stayed the same.

Did I really go? Am I really back?

Except now I have friends across the Atlantic that I miss, and an opportunity to go back and work in London.

I have much to think about.

Stay tuned for my final entry, with photos of Samantha's visit to Paris!! :)

Love Andrea

It's 3 a.m. and I'm still packing. My belongings are a mess on the floor and bed.
I couldn't sleep if I wanted to, there's no room on my bed for me.

My mind flashes back 4 months ago, when I sat in my room, filled with the same dread. Only, in Chicago I had to load everything in my car myself, and then drive it 14 hours east. Tomorrow, Nancy will take me to Heathrow, and I will fly 7 hours west.

My whole world is in the U.S. and I'm going back to it. Back to green money, American Mornings, Jiff Peanut Butter, The Daily Show, stars and stripes, and everyone I know and love.

See you all soon,

Love me :)

PS: Check back on this blog for the next few days, I'll post photos of Samantha's and my visit to Paris!

Samantha and I left London on Monday morning to catch some Paris sunshine, meet a friend, and go shopping! La dolce vita. We're back in London now . . . pics coming soon.

About comments: You may have noticed a lot of irritating comments posted by some casino company. My site is being spammed by comments that don't make any sense! So I've had to turn off the comment function. Sad. And I have a lot of comments to delete, because they posted five comments for every blog entry I've ever written. Bastards. I want revenge on that bot . . .

Anyway, to my frequent comment posters, thanks guys! You're awesome and if you want to continue to comment, e-mail me and I'll set you up an account.

Click “read more” to see photos of Sam’s second day in London! [Read More!]

Click “read more” to see photos of Samantha’s first night in London [Read More!]

I had a lot of fun with my Bloomberg team last night. . . yay! Still sad to leave them.

But . . . no time to mope because Samantha is HERE! Woo hoo!!

And, another one of my stories appears online:

France's 35-Hour Week isn't reducing working hours, study says

See you soon!

The Pakistani family who runs Spice Grills, where I eat dinner every night, has invited me to stay with their cousins for free in Pakistan if I ever visit. Hmmm. Seriously considering it. Pakistan - how cool!

The family really likes me because 1. I eat at their restaurant EVERY night and 2. The owner's brother runs a gas station in New Jersey. (I'm not making this up.) And I'm from Jerz.

I'll miss my Naan bread with Saag Paneer or Paneer Tikka Massala every night. =)

I have a connection in my room now, which was wonderful for about a week, but on Monday it started restricting my bandwidth.
[Read More!]

Americans know how to put on a show, I’ve learned. [Read More!]

Like Saturday, Sunday got off to a late start. Click ``read more’’ to see photos of my last day in Schweiz. [Read More!]

Click “read more” to see photos of our Saturday, which, er, got of to a late start. ;) But ended on two really good notes. ;) [Read More!]

Click “read more” to see photos of Friday in Basel! [Read More!]

Hey, the wireless in my room has suddenly become very shoddy - so that's why no pictures, e-mails from me, etc. I will write to you all as soon as it starts working again. (Cross fingers.)

I met a guy who works for Bloomberg who went to American University's Kogod School of Business (where my degree is from) and then went on to Medill for a grad in journailsm, and is now at Bloomberg. I bounced all over when I found out!

On Thanksgiving, I went around London interviewing Americans, and unknowingly interviewed the SAME GUY that Kris interviewed when she wrote her story on the opening of the Apple store! She saw him on Regent Street. I saw him on the Tower Bridge!

A piece of me is in Chicago. Gosh, I had never realized it before. And I certainly never meant this to be. I had always resisted Chicago, but it drew me in. I could live there. And be happy. gulp.

Thank you to my Spanish princessa amiga for helping me see!!!

Don't worry East coasters - I still have no clue where I'll end up. . . =)

I'm responding to all my e-mails tonight, so I'll put up pics of Basel tomorrow. Thank you Michele for doing some for me!!! :)

I have to go to bed now.

I had a blast! No pictures now because it's past midnight (thanks to an hour delay with the flight!)
Michele put up some of the pictures on her site! Yay! Click here to see them.

Now I have to go to bed. (I am only home at 12 a.m. and not 1 a.m. thanks to a nice girl that offered to give me a ride into London, as we landed after the last train left!!)

I am in Basel and having the time of my life!!! I will put up pictures when I am back in London, but let me just say, Schweiz rocks!! And soooo beautiful around Christmas time too! Back to the fondue party . . .mir händs fescht!!!

I'll be in Basel, Switzerland this weekend! So no updates!! (Thank you Nancy for dinner last night!)