From Dollars and Cents to Pounds and Pence

It is time to start switching my brain over to the metric system. That means no more inches, feet, pounds (the lbs kind that is), or miles. Time to focus on the genius that is the metric system. I mean seriously, why is the U.S. still talking about 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 5,280 feet in a mile? So confusing. With the metric system all you have to worry about is, the one, the zeros and sometimes the decimal point. 1 meter = 100 centimeters = 1000 millimeters etc... So much more straight forward. 

And a little point of reference for those of you not familiar with the size of things in the metric system, something I still remember from my high school freshman science class: 1 in = 2.54 cm 

The conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit is a bit more confusing. There is not a 1:1 ratio which means you can't simply add or subtract a number to get from one to the other. Here's a little guide to help with future references to Celsius or the weather.

0˚ C = 32˚ F (freezing)

20-22˚ C = 68˚ F (room temperature) 

37˚ C = ~98.6˚ F (body temperature) 

100˚ C = 212˚ F (water boils) 

Now to figure out pounds and pence. The pound is worth more than the dollar right now. 

£1 = $1.62 (£ means pounds) 

In the picture below are some pounds and pence I've found around my house or been given. It doesn't make much sense to me. In the picture I have arranged the coins in order of smallest amount to largest amount. 

As you can see, size does not correspond with value. Just another thing I will have to get used to. Luckily I have more than one change purse so one will be designated for pence and one for pounds until I can remember what's what, so very possibly during my entire visit. Hope these conversions are helpful when these things are referenced in future posts. 

I have just 2 1/2 days left before my departure, getting pretty excited and nervous!

Have a wonderfully marvelous day ~Laura