A mere 885 days after ‘We should live here!’ was uttered while honeymooning in California, George & I put our extensive Lego and designer shoe collections into storage and purchased one-way tickets to San Francisco. It is not often that we are able or inclined to displace ourselves from a life that is established and familiar, to start life anew – a blank canvas comprising of nothing but an E3 visa, an overpriced 1-bedroom apartment and whatever you can squeeze into 130kg of luggage (22 pairs of shoes, 8 dresses, 5 skirts, 2 recipe books and a kaleidoscope of peplum tops & cardigans, for those wondering).