Lists
This list may have been better to publish next week, but I’m bored at work and decided that this would do as my journal entry.
So in honor of 9 days left in London, I have made two lists, 9 things I miss about America and 9 things I will miss about London.
9 Things about America (in no particular order):
RANCH, for the love of all things holy, I miss ranch and being able to dip everything in it and put it on everything
My dog. My sweet Tana Banana (too much work to call him Montana, but I nick-named him something with almost double the syllables). I miss taking him on walks where he poops three times and chases after a squirrel while I try to pick it up. He wouldn’t look at me when I was saying goodbye so I can’t wait to be reunited with my forever snuggle buddy and take him to the doggy bakery to make up for my abandoning him
The food. I never thought I’d miss Jimmy John’s this much. I thought it was painful to be back in Warren where the JJ is not open until 4 am like EL, but being in London with no access to it at all is even more painful.
Driving accessibility. As much as I have come to love The Tube, the walking that is required when I’m not on the tube has killed my legs, and even gives me shin splints here and there. Plus, my hips and joints like to stiffen up and lock thanks to my past years of dance so its always great when I go to walk and my body won’t let me because it’s all strained.
The currency. LOL omg. I cannot wait to go to use my credit card and there won’t be a conversion expense and it also won’t be as expensive. Since £60 = $100, it’s been a rough life over here
The plugs. As much as I love the converter I bought in Paris, I am excited to bask in the day where I can just plug something into the wall without having to use a converter. I am also hoping my curling iron still works when I get back to the states. I am also salty about the fact that I wasted space/weight in my suitcase bringing my hair dryer when I have not even used it since I’m scared I’ll blow its fuse.
Personal bathrooms. Not having to use community bathrooms will have never felt so good (especially because some people STILL don’t know how to flush the toilets here).
The hospitality and customer service. Sometimes it’s nice when you ask someone a question and they actually give you a thoughtful answer instead of shrugging and walking away. I actually thought I was #blessed when I came here and found out you didn’t have to tip, but since the waiters don’t get tipped here they’re not as likely to check on you as often
Last but not least, my friends and family. I have never been away from you all for this long (and if I have, there hasn’t been an ocean between us). You guys are the best things in my life, and you never know how much people mean to you until you’re thrown into a foreign country and have to fend for yourself. I am thankful that I have had this experience, because I’m fairly confident I could move to a different state and live on my own now, but it has also made me appreciate you all a lot more. I’ll probably still be sassy sometimes (just ask Tony after Faster Horses passes this weekend), but just remember I love you all so much ;)
And now, 9 things about England/London/Europe (in no particular order):
8 Northumberland. Oh, how I’ll forever be grateful for this place and the experience I have had here. With 5 more days at work, I know there is still so much that could happen, and I can’t wait to see what I walk out with next Thursday.
The views/monuments/tourist attractions. Whatever you wanna call them, I’ll miss ‘em. Not only have I been blessed to work at 8 Northumberland, I’m also very thankful that it’s located next to Trafalgar Square, which is a great area to be greeted with every morning. Walking out of the underground station and laying eyes on the lions and fountains situated around the square always put me in a better mood. Being able to see Big Ben, the London Eye, the Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc. have been the best moments of my life. Being able to see a seaside town like Howth will be in my top 3 best views for awhile. Europe, you may be smelly, but you have some cool things to see.
The food. Surprised? I am. After not liking anything the first couple of weeks, I was forced to go out of my food comfort zone (and also not being able to drown everything in ranch). While here, I tried more seafood than I ever have in my life (thanks to Hayley and her dad) and I now know I like crab, lobster, and mussles. I know you can get these dishes in America, but it’s not the same as getting them in the seaside town of Howth where all the fishing is done right there and is fresh.
The drinking age. Now, don’t get me wrong, I really didn’t drink that much here but it was nice to order a drink with dinner and not worry about being carded or anything like that. Now I will be going back to the states where I will go back to being the baby of my friends and have to wait 4 more months until I’m 21 (because my mom and dad thought I was super smart when I was 4 and put me in school early and I’ve been cursed ever since).
The people on this trip. Yeah, I know we all go to Michigan State, but the chances of us seeing each other this much on a daily basis are pretty slim. And yeah I know that I said we were all getting annoyed with each other, but without this trip I would’ve never met these people probably and I’m actually very happy I did.
Justifying everything I do with “Well I’m in London.. so it’s okay”. An extra macaron? Well I’m in London so it’s okay. Wine at dinner? Well I’m only in London for so long, so might as well. Nice, pricey perfume? Well I can’t get this exact scent and brand back in America, so I probably should. No matter what I’m questioning, it’s really not that hard to justify it.
Buying presents. My favorite hobby of this whole trip has been picking out post cards and finding little nick-nacks to bring my family back home. No one exactly wants a postcard that says “Greetings from Warren” (do they even make those?) so it’s been fun to send my friends and family post cards from here and picking out things to bring back to them.
Coming back from a long day at work and watching Big Brother and the Bachelorette with Claire, Hayley and Erin. Again, I can do this in America, but it’s not going to be the same (even though Hayley and I have already planned wine nights back in EL to watch the Bachelor when it starts to air).
Never knowing what you’re going to find. It’s very rare these days that you could tell me something about Macomb Twp. or East Lansing that I didn’t already know. It’s been nice to find new places and do different things than to just go to the Coney Island around the corner from my house or successfully get into Landshark on a Thursday night. I’ve had many different experiences, the good and the bad, but I always manage to find little treasures. It truly has been an experience of a life time and I can’t wait for the day that I get back over here. But for now, I am very content that I get to go home in 9 days.
