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This week marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and it's not something I was excited to sit down and talk about, but it's something I needed to. I was 23, at my cubicle in New Jersey, when the woman across from me looked up with fear on her face and said a plane had just hit the Twin Towers. I still remember sitting at a red light, facing north, watching smoke rise from a skyline I'd known my whole life. It's a small story next to what the first responders and the families went

There's a moment every year when the air in the UK shifts — not with a bang, but with a whisper. There's a moment every year when the air in the UK shifts — not with a bang, but with a whisper. This year, though, it wasn't quite so gentle. One week we were in the middle of a heat wave, and the next, almost overnight, the temperature dropped and the season simply flipped. No gradual cooling, no in-between — just a heat wave one day and unmistakably autumnal weather the next.

Sunday, August 30th The Kennington Loop Challenge We are stepping up for a brighter future. Join us for a 20 KM walk around the iconic Kennington loop as we raise funds for 'Send the Child to Africa.' This journey is about more than just miles; it is about providing the gift of education in Maths and English to children who need it most. Whether you join us on the pavement or tune in to our live livestream, your support makes the world of difference. Every step taken and ever

A journey from corporate life to self-discovery across cultures. In a world filled with voices urging us to awaken and break free from conformity, one question arises: why do so many still follow the herd? This episode takes us on a journey of self-discovery, exploring the nuances of individuality amid societal expectations. The Awakening The conversation begins with a candid reflection on society's push to conform. "There is a whole genre of content right now telling people

There's a difference between resilience that's forced on you and resilience you grow into anyway. She didn't choose this door, but she's the one walking through it every single day

Moving abroad can shift your perspective in unexpected ways. One of the biggest lessons I learned after relocating from the U.S. to the U.K. revolves around the difference between doing and being.

The visa itself wasn't the hard part. The hard part was everything happening around it — the house, the school transition, the job search, the emotional weight of an international move landing all at once.

My partner is British. Before I ever considered moving to England, I visited at least a dozen times. Not weekend trips — real visits. I stayed with family. I walked the streets in every season. I sat in the pubs and the parks and the supermarket queues. I thought I understood what life here would look like. I was completely wrong.

I say that with full affection, because I have now lived through enough British summers — and British heatwaves — to understand that the way this country responds to extreme heat is one of the most purely British things I have ever encountered. It is simultaneously catastrophic and deeply, deeply funny.

In America it’s a casual drive. In Britain it’s basically a weekend commitment. We did Stonehenge and Bath as a day trip—meanwhile people in our life were complaining about a 1½-hour drive for a beach day.

I’ve been free for a while now. Free from the alarm. Free from the commute. Free from the meetings that could have been emails, the emails that should have been nothing, the relentless performance of being productive for someone else’s bottom line. And I want to write something honest about it. Not the version I’d put on camera. The real one. Because freedom, it turns out, is complicated. Finding myself again — slowly The first thing I noticed was that I didn’t know what I ac

I still haven’t called. I’ve been trying to figure out why.

It's the end of May here in the United Kingdom. The evenings are getting longer, that particular British gold light that stretches past 9pm like it's trying to convince you summer is real and permanent. And somewhere in the back of my head, I'm aware that back home, Memorial Day just passed. That somebody grilled something. That somebody drove somewhere. That people I used to know went about the whole ritual of it without me.

It's not the big holidays that catch you off guard when you live abroad. It's the specific ones. The ones with a smell to them.

Let me be clear from the start: I’m not here to trash formal education. Degrees matter. Credentials matter. The structure, the discipline, the exposure to ideas you never would have sought on your own — all of that is genuinely valuable. But there’s a version of “educated” that looks great on paper and falls apart the moment life gets complicated. And there’s a version of “knowledgeable” that has no letters after its name and yet navigates the world with remarkable clarity. T

Then I moved here. And I genuinely did not know there was a UK general election happening until someone mentioned it in passing. I'd gotten a couple of flyers through the letterbox (yes, I've learned the word). That was it!

After our livestream on Tuesday, I realized I’m still very much wrapping my head around this whole “living under a monarchy” situation. And then King Charles casually shows up in the US this week and suddenly this is my entire personality. I’m Googling lineage charts. I’m saying things like “soft power” out loud. I’m becoming… that American. So let’s talk about the five things that shocked me most about the British monarchy this week — sprinkled with a few moments where I, a

Moving abroad brings excitement and challenges in equal measure. As an American expat, I quickly learned that adapting to a new culture means more than just understanding local customs—it requires managing emotional wellbeing while navigating unfamiliar social norms. This is especially true for Americans in the UK, where British culture can feel both familiar and surprisingly different. In this post, I want to share insights on how to handle cultural differences and maintain

While it may seem trivial, queuing can be a significant aspect of social interaction. Understanding its importance can enhance your experience in the UK.

Moving to a new country is like opening a book filled with blank pages. You’re excited, a little nervous, and curious about what stories you’ll write. For Americans settling in the UK, this journey is full of unique experiences, cultural surprises, and sometimes, a longing for home. That’s where the Hickson Diaries come in. They’re not just stories; they’re a warm, welcoming community that shares the ups and downs of life across the pond. Let me take you on a journey through