Missing

As I begin to get settled back into my life at home, I’m thinking about all of those things I’ve missed this year and all of those things that I know I will miss from my new home in England.  Of course the “things” that I have missed and will miss the most are not things at all, but rather the people who fill my life with joy and laughter each and every day.  

What I’ve missed from home:

·      Mexican Food

o   There is some Mexican food in England, but very little and it is not quite the same.  I’m so used to tacos, chips, guacamole and margaritas on a regular basis, and I did miss it.  It does make sense that there are fewer Mexican restaurants, as there are not nearly as many Mexicans as there are in the US.  In the UK, Indian food is found on every High Street because the Indian population is so great.

·      Dryer

o   I consider myself a “green” person, so I do really appreciate the fact that most people in the UK hang dry their clothes, but when you’re in a hurry, or in the damp winter when it takes clothes longer to dry, I really missed my dryer.

·      Warm Water

o   No, don’t worry, I haven’t been taking cold showers for the past year!  Many sinks in the UK have two faucets, one for cold and one for hot, which just means it is difficult to get warm water.

·      Paper Towels in Bathrooms

o   Again, I realize that hand dryers are probably better for the environment, but I just don’t feel they dry your hands nearly as much as a paper towel does.  There are also times when you need a paper towel to wipe things up and well, those were rare to find in the UK.

·      Familiarity
o   Everything, I mean everything, took a lot of thought.  Everything from grocery shopping to driving to how flush the toilet to where to go to find something took more thought.  I missed the ease of familiarity.

·      Air Conditioning

o   The past month, it has been very warm, not as hot as Alabama usually is for months at a time, but still very warm.  I am used to hotter temperatures, but I am also used to the sweet escape of air conditioning.  I missed being able to step inside to get away from the heat.

·      Weather

o   The last month has been absolutely lovely and it has almost, almost but not quite, made me forget about the rest of the year.  It did not rain nearly as much as I thought it would this year, but there were so many just grey days where the sun was unable to conquer the clouds.  The long summer days have been glorious, but the very dark, very short winter days were difficult to bear. 

·      Free Parking

o   Parking at places like airports and special events are things I’m used to paying for, but I was very surprised to have to pay to park at places like the mall or the movie theater.  It was not all too expensive, just an extra hassle.

·      Screens on Windows

o   As the weather has been warm lately, my windows have often been open.  Thankfully here they do not really have mosquitoes,  but there are bugs that tend to find their way into the house while the windows are open.

·      Public Water Fountains

o   I am not sure if I can remember seeing a public water fountain at all this year, and they are just so nice and easy as a way to quench your thirst.

·       Electric Plugs in Bathrooms

o   I am not sure why, but there are only plugs for electric shavers in bathrooms here.  For girls who want to dry and straighten their hair, it is nice to have plugs where you also have a mirror.

What I’ll miss about England

·      Afternoon Tea

o   I think that Afternoon Tea is one of the greatest inventions of all times: three layers of food including scones and clotted cream!  Amazing!  To be honest, I probably had more afternoon tea this year than many Brits have in their lifetime, but man, I will miss the frequent opportunities to enjoy this delightful invention!

·      Walking to School

o   I do not live all too far from school here, but a drive is still necessary.  I loved the joy of an easy ten minute stroll to and from school each day.  I also enjoyed easily walking to pubs, a “zippy-mart”, a bank, a post office and more!

·      Fresh Food

o   The food in England does something odd… it goes bad!  I know this sounds strange, but the bread, if not refrigerated would start to mold just days after purchasing it.  It makes me worry what all is put into our foods in the US.  What sorts of preservatives keep our food “fresh”?

·      Grocery Delivery

o   I didn’t really think that I would enjoy getting my groceries delivered as I do enjoy picking out my fruits and vegetables, but man, online grocery shopping is probably one of the best inventions!  Of course you still have to make your list and what not, but you don’t spend so much time going to the grocery store, parking, finding the items, loading them onto the check-out counter, loading them into the car and then unloading them.  The friendly Tesco delivery man brought it all up to the third floor apartment!  I am confident I saved money by not walking up and down the aisles, seeing things I “needed” and I certainly saved a lot of stress…there was something about the way the buggies turned that I found very difficult!

·      Travel Opportunities

o   Not only does England have some beautiful, and very historic sites, but it is also an easy train or plane ride to mainland Europe.  There is a lot of the USA that I still want to see, but I loved being just a couple hours away from a different language and a different culture.

·      Cider

o   As I understand it, cider is starting to crop up in the US, and I for one am thrilled, but I’m fairly certain it will take a while for the US to have the variety of flavors that are readily available in the UK.  I have thoroughly enjoyed cider, especially the really fruity ones like pear and mixed berries.

·      Break and Lunch Times

o   During my school day at home, I do get a couple of breaks when the kids are at PE or a special activity such as art or music, but there is never a time during the day when the whole staff has time together.  I loved morning tea time and lunch time when the whole staff, minus a few who rotated monitoring the kids on the playground, got together and shared in some laughs and told stories.  That time was really valuable and helped to build camaraderie amongst the staff.

·      Pubs

o   A pub is not a bar, but rather a casual restaurant with a bar.  I have learned to love the simple consistency of a pub.  Most pubs have generally the same menus, so you always know what to expect.  I enjoyed the casual setting so that when I was traveling on my own, I could sit at the bar and talk with the bartenders or the locals.

·      Public Transportation

o   There is public transportation at home, but it is not very dependable nor very frequent.  I’m not sure which came first, but not many people use it and it is not very good.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to use trains, buses and the tube.  They have made traveling very easy and enjoyable.

·      Accent as a Conversation Starter

o   I must admit that I have loved the attention of just being different and standing out.  I have loved how, just by opening my mouth and letting my American accent flow freely, I instantly start a conversation.  Very quickly I got to share about where I was from and what I was doing there.  

·      Typical Meals

o   The Brits get a bad rap for their food, but I must admit that I loved it!  I enjoyed being able to find those simple, delicious British meals of meat pies, bangers and mash, and fish and chips on almost every menu. 

·      Joy of Constant Discovery

o   While I have missed familiarity, in the same way, I will miss the joy of constantly discovering something new whether it is a new word, a new food, a new way of doing things, just about everything was new!

I am sure as I continue to settle in here at home, I will discover more things that I missed and more things that I’m missing.  There are lots of things that I thought I would miss that I actually didn’t miss as much as I thought I would.  In large part because England and America now have so many of the same things.  I could find most of the food that I love like okra and peanut butter, and I realized that those other things I loved but couldn’t find like Cheez-Its and Reese’s were things I could easily go without.  I did not miss my car nearly as much as I thought I would, and while I’m not going to rush home and buy a manual, I must admit that I sort of enjoyed driving a manual this year and I certainly enjoyed acquiring that skill. 

Anywhere that you have spent time has charms you'll always remember and always treasure.  I missed the charms of home while I was away, but I will certainly miss the lovely charms of England!