Note (mostly to self): this is not a post to try to promote homesickness, culture shock, or any other negative or depressing feelings.
Tonight I learned that in the UK, you cannot access Pandora (the internet radio genome project). I also found you cannot access Hulu. So I went on a quest to find some good UK shows to watch on my laptop at night (usually in an attempt to fall asleep since it’s so loud here). It got me thinking to all of the other things from home, little or big, that I miss as well as things I love here and things that are just different.
There are some things I can think of right off the top of my head that I miss….
- Pandora
- Hulu/CBS/ABC/Fox online shows
- My Droid/being connected to the internet 24/7
- Twitter. I can access twitter here and everything but I’m so used to having it on my phone and refreshed every 2 minutes (literally)
- email on my phone. I actually have to get on a computer to check it. Haven’t done that since high school. Seriously.
- My mom’s homemade food!
But then there are also a ton of things I love here…
- The close proximity of things!
- Ormskirk. Such a lovely town with everything you’d need
- The rich history of everything. One of the main reasons why I wanted to come to the UK/Europe
- Trains and buses! We have none of that where I’m from back home. It’s so nice to be able to hop on and off the train or bus! (Only downside is that they have certain schedules they run on and you’re sometimes left walking or waiting)
- The people are so inquisitive, friendly, and helpful. Some of the store clerk…not so much…but many of the younger people here are happy to help if you’re confused with the coins (I’ve almost mastered them though!) and ask questions about home.
And things that are just different…
- People party, drink, and smoke here a lot more than at home. Like…a LOT more.
- The weather is much more overcast and cooler here in the autumn. I kind of like it though
- Everyone walks everywhere. And for someone who didn’t get a ton of exercise back home, I’m loving it
- The food is so…bizarre! They have Walkers crisps (which look like Lays, by the way, same logo and everything but they’re called Walkers)…and…do you wanna know what flavor I see everywhere? Prawn Cocktail. Yes. Prawn. Like fish. Fish flavored crisps.
- Units of measurement. Still haven’t quiteeee caught on to all of them (grams, liters, etc.)
- I love the words difference here too. Till, trolly, prawn (is Shrimp, by the way) and the one that makes us all giggle…fanny (for Heaven’s sake, don’t say it here. If you’re going to say fanny pack, instead use bum bag). I’ll post a whole post on the vocabulary difference sometime
I’m not saying home is better and here is worse or that here is better and home is worse. It’s all just new and exciting and different. And I’m enjoying and absorbing every single second of it.
