London loves

A year ago my city experienced one of its best days and then immediately one of its worst.

On July 6 we won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. It was a euphoric day. I put up a giant poster over my desk on which I'd drawn the London logo. When I broke the news to Jonathan he shouted for joy at the thought that one day he would be 12, and he was pretty chuffed about the olympics (or 'lympics as they're known in our house) taking place right on his doorstep as well. He immediately wanted to go out and start training to run in the 100-metre dash. Lucy informed him he would be going to bed instead. Nice try, Jonathan!

The next day the bombs came and there really wasn't much to smile about for a long time. The poster came down and I just felt sick for days. But you know what, no one gets to spoil our city and no one gets to spoil our lives. Lucy and Jonathan went into central London just two weeks after July 7. She didn't want him to be afraid. London is so much part of our lives and he needed to know that it was safe. The longer they waited, the more he would worry. They rode the Thameslink from Luton station(just as the bombers had done), got off at Kings Cross and onto the underground. They spent a few tense minutes sitting on the train which for some reason was being held in the station. Worried looks were exchanged between the passengers, but finally the doors closed and the train pulled out of the station. Jonathan declared, "It's alright. There aren't any bombs anymore." Everyone relaxed visibly and smiled at a little boy's innocence.

I have a good life here in New York, but London will always be my home. Some days I'm really homesick. I just want to be in England and talk to people who now what "lubbly jubbly" means and know that they make bogs in Stoke-on-Trent. BBC radio via the internet is my lifeline. But I think how lucky am I to get to experience both these wonderful places. There's more for me to do here in New York. I have wonderful friends in this city that I don't want to be without. And thankfully, I worked out a deal with EMI when I took my new job so that I get to go home for more than a week at the end of August. I'll be with my family, breath English air, ride the underground and watch Jonathan train for the 'lympics.