We are currently sitting at Nando's in the Westfield London shopping center in White City. Those of you from Arizona may know of a Nando's Mexican Restaraunt - but this is completely different! Nando's here in the UK is a Portuguese restaurant chain that primarily serves peri peri chicken. They begin by taking a whole "fresh, never frozen" chicken and marinating it in one of six sauces for a minimum of 24-hours and then grilling it over an open flame. Customers may order a 1/4, 1/2 or WHOLE chicken, meal platters, chicken burgers, pittas or wraps in any of the marinades. They also serve appe"teasers," sides, desserts, hot drinks, and wine. There are many Nando's locations across London and the UK. Between our London trip two years ago and now, we've managed to make a trip here about twice a week.

Today we were lucky, they honored our card that expired in December 2010 which rewarded us with a free half chicken, so we happily paid for a large salad and coke. We choose to eat here often because the food is not only delicious, but also very healthy! Finding food is a mission when it comes to feeding a working male model... no white carbohydrates, no added sugar, no preservatives, low in sodium, high in protein, no dairy - the diet is VERY strict, so we end up eating at home A LOT! Nando's is great because Kyle can stay within his diet... and Megan can get her sugar fix on "Bottomless Frozen Yogurt," which literally says in the menu "No bottom, not fat, no guilt!"

Xo,
M&K

My addiction to espresso began in New York, and of course has continued to follow me everywhere I've traveled. I'm just not the same person without it. When you have time to kill between castings, you usually end up finding a coffee shop, or pub, pullout your laptop and get down on some free WiFi. Today the pub seemed a bit too extreme, I didn't want to be walking in to meet a client a few pints deep by noon, so I did what any self respecting model would do, I found a crepe place around the corner and ordered a macchiato, the problem now is that I've already had a latte this morning, with an extra shot I might add.
The little cafe I'm sitting in, "Crepe Affaire" is on the corner of Wardour and D'Arblay in W1 London. I'm killing time waiting to walk into my Remington casting. Thus far in the UK it has managed to rain an impressive 80 percent of the time, leaving a fresh clean smell in the air and my trousers (you have to call pants trousers because in the UK pants literally means underwear) and shoes soaked completely through.
I'm going to walk into my casting in a few minutes shaking uncontrollably and attempt not to jump out of my own skin. This casting is for a TV commercial so if I book it I'll have something pretty cool to share on the blog... not to mention a much needed influx of cash to continue to fund the "traveling in the moment" experience.
Wish me Luck,
Kyle

P.S. Megan is home in bed sick, so send her some love!

POST UPDATE:
Thoughts after the casting - Imagine walking in and greeting the studio secretary with a smile as you fill out the casting information form and without a pause stripping down to only your "pants" (underwear) then walking barefoot, iPad in hand, into a small room filled with people. You smile and introduce yourself, then make a joke about being practically nude to break the ice. You walk over and stand in front of a video camera and "slate" (where you simply say your name followed by your agency, then show your profiles, right side, left side, etc.) as you watch them analyze you, do a little turn around and throw them an EXTRA LARGE smile to try to seal the deal on your first impression. You booked it! They loved you! Or did they???

That's what it was and is like almost always like every single time you go on a casting, plus or minus the underwear part. I got a really good response from the client, so we shall see what happens. I also may be shooting for Mens Health at the end of the week.

-Fingers Crossed-

Nearly two weeks in and it finally feels like life as usual here in the UK. We have a group of friends we see on a regular basis, an agenda of events to attend, and finally a system of spending worked out -- and it is AWESOME!... We've even caught ourselves talking in slight British accents so we don't come off as SO American ;)

Kyle has been good friends with a guy named Sei since first coming to London in 2009, Sei is a club promoter here in London. Two years ago he took us to Jalouse for a night of crazy fun, and last night he invited us to Maddox for dinner and clubbing. Going out with Sei is so intense, they roll out the red carpet, models galore, beautiful people, celebrities, free drinks - the funny thing is though, whether we party in New York, Los Angles, Scottsdale or London it is the same drinks, same music and same crowds of people!

Today we watched the UEFA Euro Cup matches at Sei's new flat, in the Shoreditch area, near the Liverpool street tube station. He had about fifteen people over to watch Denmark v. Netherlands and Germany v. Portugal. Here girls know so much about Football (Soccer), in the states you rarely find a girl who knows all the games, stats, players, rules, etc. We had about five bags of crisps (potato chips) and a spread of different beers to share. Sei let his two ferrets run about the living room as we snacked. It was rather difficult watching the matches, while simultaneously keeping the nosey little critters out of the food and away from our beer.





Needless to say, the Euro Cup is a huge deal here in the UK! Two matches a day for the next month, and a hodgepodge of people to watch them... everyone in London is an immigrant which makes every match that much more entertaining to watch. Tomorrows Euro matches are Spain v. Italy and Ireland v. Croatia. We have plans to watch Spain v. Italy at an Italian restaraunt called Arancina in Notting Hill with Yara whose Italian friends have booked a table... it's going to be especially intense considering that Kyle will be cheering for Spain.

Xo,
M&K

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
- Plato

The house we're staying in is massive, five floors, eight guestrooms, and the landlords suite. Our landlord Lekha lives on the bottom floors with her three kids. Three double room suites crowd the third floor, two double rooms and a large kitchen are on the fourth floor, and three single rooms with a shared bathroom on the top floor. Two nights into our stay at Primrose Gardens we met Yara and Eros, a couple from Northern Italy. Yara is doing an internship with an international business firm here in London, and her wonderful boyfriend Eros came to visit for the Jubilee Holiday!



We initiallly met Yara and Eros in the communal kitchen on Saturday night, they stuck up a conversation with us and we all decided it was a good idea to head to the pub for a pint! Funny part about chatting over drinks was that their primary language is not English :) It was amazing to see Eros, who spoke the least amount of English, intently focusing to stay up to speed with the conversations we were having. At times Yara filled him in, using their native Italian, on certain words and phrases - but overall we all learned that it was easiest to speak with gestures and smiles!





A few days later the four of us went to Buckingham Palace to watch the Queen's Address to her people in honor of her Diamond Jubilee, and to the Science Museum. We had an amazing time out on the town as two couples who despite cultural differences, and a slight language barrier played like old friends. What we failed to realize earlier in the day was that unfortunately Eros would be leaving us in the morning, so we all decided that after a breif nap that we would join up in the kitchen for our last dinner before his return to Italy. Shortly after dinner Eros returned to the kitchen asking for glue... in his hand was a 'flapping' dress shoe. Unfortunately for Eros, the sole of his shoe had completely separtated from the leather. We watched in amazment as he proceeded to fill a spoon with sugar and melt it over the stove for use as a bonding agent. He smiled at us and attempted to say he was "Macgyver" with a rough Italian accent. Luckily his Macgyver skills seemed to pay off - as he left the kitchen with two shoes on his feet!













It is astonishing to us that many Americans only speak one language fluently - English, while over here in Europe most people speak two or three; and then there's Yara who has the ability to converse in over ten. Together we have set a goal of learning the basics of a few new languages, something that will surely help in our travels. We are both eagerly looking forward to meeting new people and sharing more fun times with travelers.

Xo,
M&K

Step One: Arrive in One Piece
The plane ride was exhausting, we hardly slept - between excitement, nerves, and the guy punching the seats behind us, our arrival into Gatwick left us exhausted. Buying tickets on the Gatwick Express was easier said than done... Oyster Cards (London Metro Cards) can't be "topped-up" with American debit/credit cards. Luckily we had enough money from years prior to get us both to Camden, more specifically Belsize Park, where we will be staying for the next month or so. We got to our new "home" at 1:30, dropped the luggage off, freshened up and headed out to Kyle's first casting. Between castings, stopping by Premier (modeling agency) and exploring London in the rain we made time for Nando's Peri Peri Chicken AND a jug of Pimm's at our local pub!

Step Two: Settling In
The flat we rented is decent for the price and location. We have a fridge in our room, private bathroom, shared double kitchen, washer and dryer - as well as awesome flatmates! It's cost us quite a bit of money stocking up on essentials; food, toilet paper, toiletries, detergents, etc. Adjusting to the time change has also been extremely difficult this time around. Of course we've had unnecessarily late nights pub-hopping with flat mates, and Kyle's 16-hour Brian Atwood photoshoot kept us out late.

Step Three: Learning Lessons and Pumping the Brakes
Watching money disappear from your bank account, and feeling helpless to prevent it is the worst feeling in the world. Two years ago London retailers accepted "swipe" cards (American magnetic strip cards), today only PIN or chip cards are accepted - and some VISA cards... but they carry hefty International Transaction Fees. As Americans, we can't have a chip or PIN card. Right now the only card we have that works is a Bank of America VISA card that can be used to withdrawl cash at Barclay's ATMs. An estimated $100 in transaction fees were lost learning this lesson. Between ITFs (international transaction fees), an overwhelming urge to be European (consumption of a few afternoons pints), re-visiting all our favorite places, grabbing cold-weather and rain gear (we anticipated summer weather), and settling-in to our flat, gratitious amounts of cash have been spent. It took six days to learn, but we have finally cut down on spending, a necessary when you are living on a temporarily fixed income.




Step Four: Enjoy Life in London!
Regardless of how difficult adjusting to life abroad can be, it never fails to be exciting! Yesterday marked the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II as the reigning monarch... The Queens Diamond Jubilee!! From Friday 'til Tuesday ALL of the United Kingdom was encouraged to take off from work and celebrate their wonderful MUM! Sunday was the BIG lunch. Throughout London, neighborhoods celebrated by joining in the streets and parks to picnic together. After lunch was the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, where 1,000 boats traveled down the river to honor the Queen. We participated in awe as thousands of Elizabeth II's subjects crowded bridges and riverbanks to honor their beloved Queen's 60 year reign. After an overwhelming two hours of walking the river bank we settled in a cozy pub in Covent Garden to watch the festivities on BBC and enjoy another delicious lunch!





The next few days will be spent relaxing, exploring, and enjoying our "bank holiday" before the castings and jobs begin :)

Xo,
M&K

TODAY IS THE DAY! After a week of packing and moving (with some time for friends and family) we are finally at the airport, getting ready to board the plane for Vegas.

Kyle went to Indiana to celebrate his sisters graduation; and Megan stayed in AZ to pack up, go skydiving, fly an airplane and enjoy Happy Hour ;)

We're glad to be at the airport early, it gives us time to plan what we will do during our five hour layover in Las Vegas! After that we land Wednesday morning at Gatwick, take the express into central London and then relax in our flat in Camden.

Xo,
M&K

I met the most amazing women to ever come into my life. When we first met I was still a "technically homeless" full time fashion model who owned little more then a carry on suitcase and a backpack, which when you think about it its kind of astonishing that we, just a few weeks ago, sold all of our belongings in search of travel and adventure.

Its totally different traveling with someone you love. Every experience is that much brighter. Colors have more pop, backdrops and landscapes seem more vivid. That was the only thing missing in my life, someone to simultaneously indulge in all the wonders of the world; to know the joys of care free wandering.

The life of the "vagabond"...

Love,

K

We touched down at the Seattle-Tacoma airport Monday at noon, rented a car, and sped off into the downtown madness under unusually sunny skies and 85 degree weather. The first stop on our list was Pike's Place Market; tulip gardens, fish throwing, crazy hippies, and delicious street food - check, check, and check! From there we ran off to Harbor Steps and set appointments for multiple apartment viewings throughout the week - it's official, Seattle will be our new home! We met up with Kyle's friend Christophe and enjoyed dinner at Ray's Boathouse near Golden Gardens Park. During our stay, we crashed at Francis and Ry's new place, a short 25 minute drive South of downtown.



The next few days were more fun and exciting then we could have anticipated. Kyle got signed by the Seattle Models Guild, and even managed to sneak in a casting. We bought Seattle City Passes for $69, giving us access to the Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Harbor Tour, EMP Museum, the Pacific Science Center with IMAX show, the Woodland Park Zoo and the top of the Space Needle both during the day and at night! We were lucky enough to be given tickets to SAM, the Seattle Art Museum, and we did Bill Speidel's Underground Tour for adults (the Underworld Tour).












Between all the touristy attractions we had enough time to dig for clams at Francis and Ry's, share a delicious clam dinner, play Cards Against Humanity and enjoy some amazing drinks and sashimi at Umis on First Ave. All while touring multiple apartments trying to find a place to live come this fall :)




Seattle was BEAUTIFUL during our five day stay, we only saw ten minutes of rain Thursday evening, which leads us to ask ourselves, "where is this place that lives under rainy and overcast skies?"... We believe the threats of bad weather must be a ploy by the Seattleites to keep their city to themselves - and we don't blame them!

Xo,
M&K

We are currently sitting in Cafeteria 15L in the Sacramento airport sipping on spicy Bloody Mary's! Landing here felt surreal, it's hard to remember the last time we had a "fun" vacation with no agenda attached. So far todays only downside was flying Southwest Airlines, we love the "bags fly free" aspect, but not the cattle call-free for all-grab a seat while you can-no good food in the terminals one.

Plans for the rest of the day include meeting up with our wonderful host Francis who is hooking us up with a rental car (and providing a place to stay), touring the city a little and spending then some time with our host and wonderful hostess, Francis' girlfriend Ry! Main mission of today: picture of the Space Needle!

Xo,
M&K

Wednesday we finally sat down and purchased tickets! As you can see we have an unfortunately long layover --- IN VEGAS! Five hours to kill, and McCarran Airport is only four miles from the strip, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY!!!!

In addition to buying tickets, we think that we have secured a place to stay with a nice lady named Lekha who is renting us a double suite room in her flat in Belsize Park. It will cost us £260 a week or $417. To finance the trip (and prepare for the move) we had a garage sale yesterday! It was crazy to see nearly all of our material posessions out front on the lawn for the world to pick through. All that is left now are a few key items to get us through the next few weeks, beds, dressers, clothes and toiletries are all that remain.



We depart on our Seattle trip Monday through Friday, Saturday is the last day of work for both of us, Kyle leaves for Indiana Sunday the 20th for a week, and we take off together for London the following Tuesday. So much to do, so little time!

Happy Mothers Day to Charon, Oma, Cyndimom and Diana <3

Xo,
M&K