Well folks, it's official. I have lived in England for six months today. Can you even freakin believe that!? I certainly can't. This time last year I was running around trying to get my visa sorted out. Those were the days. As promised, I won't post about my anniversary every single month for the time I live here. Six months is a landmark though. My visa is good for 18 months so essentially today marks 33.33% of the time I am guaranteed to live here. After that who knows what will be happening. That scares me a lot because I am not done doing the things I want to do and seeing the things I want to see. And on top of that I still have so much with school I want to achieve. Ahhhhhhh!!!
Ok, so this is an I Love post so I should get to it yeah? I love England. I may have to post separately about London because there is a lot to say there. This post is about England though. I love it. I have loved it for years and I feel so lucky that I am able to actually be here now. Living in London is kind of strange because it is almost like living really really close to England and yet not really being there. But then I go out to the country, see my family, wander around the downs, feel the fresh air, see the sea, drink lots and lots of tea, watch silly silly tv shows, watch painfully funny - in that awkward way that only the English can really pull off - shows, and I think....this place is awesome! It's not to say that there isn't any Englishness in London but it is buried under layers of internationalism. At school nearly everyone is American. A few people come from other places but there is only one English person. And he technically isn't even in our program so yeah. But I do have a few English friends and happen to live with one as well which is awesome. I am constantly hearing them say things I either completely misinterpret or miss entirely. I am sure they get tired of explaining their most basic slang to me but I drink it up.
I love sledging, veg, and bits and bobs, the noughties, and how Freddie speaks with a perfect little English accent. I love that 15% of the language here is all an inside joke between the English (and how much time I have to spend looking quizzically and saying, "what was that?"). I love that there are no screens on the windows! In that vein, I love that everyone keeps their windows open as frequently as possible. I love the dedication to gardens and green and dirt. I love that they aren't afraid of salacious ads, swearing on television, and nakedness. I love when the sun comes out (living under frequent cloud cover makes a desert rat like me appreciate the sun even more). I love that we cheers before sharing a drink. I love that everyone hugs!!! (though I still frequently forget the cheek kiss and end up making people kiss my ear. oops). I love pubs - and not just because they get me drunk - because it's just like being at home having a drink with your friends only the food and drink cost about three times as much. But in all honesty they are great places to talk shit with total strangers and that can be a good time. Sigh. I love so many more things but I want to keep some secret to entice you to come visit soon!!!!!
