England, je t'aime

I was chatting with a friend a while ago and he asked me what my favorite thing about England is so far. It’s such a good question, but a difficult one. I thought about it for a moment and said something, but have continued to think about it ever since. I couldn’t narrow it down to just one thing that is my favorite, so you’ll have to bear with a rather long list. Firstly, I love that it’s England. There are times when I have to remind myself that I actually live in England. I’m not just visiting; I actually live here and that is so much cooler. I go to the grocery store, I do my laundry, I go shopping. I just do it in England instead. It means that I walk a lot more, but I don’t mind it because it’s beautiful. The walk from my house to the town center passes several old churches and crosses the river. There’s a lovely garden with spring flowers beginning to poke up. I also love the buildings. Here in Reading, most of the buildings are red brick. I think it’s just lovely. Most of the houses are also covered with vines or ivy as well. It gives them an old look that is perfect for imagining oneself in a Jane Austen novel or something.

I also love it here at night. It’s often a little foggy and the streetlights are much orangey-er than they are at home, so there’s this soft orange glow everywhere. It’s romantic and makes me want to go on a long walk hand in hand with a cute boy.

I also love that everywhere I go there is history. There’s a story to everything here. I can imagine people in old-fashioned clothes wandering around town, climbing out of carriages, attending the theatre, or having tea and scones. I love the feeling that the buildings and streets and trees have been witness to events that changed the world.

Another thing I love here is the trees. There are beautiful trees everywhere. They’re big and tall and the branches spread out beautifully all around. Some of them have vines growing up the trunks. One of my favorite things to do is ride through the countryside where the fields roll over the hills and the sheep graze. But what I love the most about the fields is the great big tree that is often smack dab in the middle. I have no idea what kind of tree it is, but almost every field has one and they’re beautiful.

I love the old people here too. I love that the women wear tweed skirts, knee-high stockings, blouses, knitted sweater vests, and carry crocheted shopping bags around with them. I love that the old men wear hats and suits when they go out for the day, even if it’s just to the shops. They perfectly fit my imaginings of what old English people would look like.

I guess what I love most about England, is that I’m here. I feel so lucky every time I think about the experience I’m having here. I had always wanted to live abroad someday and now I am and I love it. I might just have to stay a while longer.