Things We'll Miss the Most
- Traveling Throughout Europe - We were so blessed to live near London Stanstead Airport and be able to buy cheap airline tickets on RyanAir or EasyJet to take amazing vacations throughout Europe. It's sad to think that Italy and Germany will no longer be only a couple of hours away!
- Walking Into Town - In Bury St. Edmunds, Brian and I lived in a house only a 5-minute walk from the town center. We loved being able to walk into town during the day to go to the market or run errands and be able to walk in together at night for dinner. In Orlando, everything is a drive away, so we will have to get our walking in some other way!
- Changing Seasons - As two Florida babies, we had never lived anywhere with four seasons before living in the UK. Although we won't miss the months-long winters, we will miss seeing flowers bloom in the Spring and leaves fall on the ground in the Fall.
- Nutritional Information - It was so easy grocery shopping in the UK because all food products have this great stoplight on them that gives a red, yellow, or green light on five nutritional factors so you know right away if the product is healthy for you or not. We hate having to read the nutritonal details on things now to try to figure out what is good or bad.
- Apache Helicopters - Brian worked on a UK military base on the Apache helicopter and was able to see them flying every day. I saw them frequently too when I had lunch with him or when one landed in the town center for Prince Charles' visit last year. You just don't see those flying over Central Florida!
- Indian Food - It's not called England's national dish for nothing; we've eaten some delicious Indian food while in the UK and we will definitely miss our favorite little restaurant Orissa in Bury St. Edmunds.
- British Ales and Cyder - British Ales are very different than American beers. They are traditionally served at or just below room temperature, and they have a much richer flavor. We were lucky because Greene King Brewery, a huge brewer that actually exports to the U.S., was located in Bury St. Edmunds. Although I'm not an ale fan, I did get into English cyders that taste more like a sparkling apple drink. We're going to miss heading down to our favorite pub for a pint!
- Charity Shops - Charity shops are a huge deal in England. Basically, they are high-end thrift stores that have prominent real estate on all the towns' High Streets. It was so much fun to pop into them regularly to see what deals we could find. My favorite sections were always the books because I could buy tons of books at very low cost.
- Being Away from Friends and Family - Brian and I are very close to our friends and family, and it has been hard being a 9-hour flight away from them. We were lucky that so many of them were able to come out and visit, but we're looking forward to being able to get together for dinners and Gator games more often now!
- Our Teeny Tiny Washer/Steamer - Everyone knows I called this appliance my nemesis, and during the last six weeks, Brian had to completely take over doing our laundry because I officially rebelled against using this horrible machine. It'll be great to have fluffy, dry clothes again!
- Rainy Days - We handled the winter and snow pretty well, but neither of us ever got used to going so long without sunshine. It became a running joke that we were becoming allergic to the sun because we didn't see it often enough! We're both the palest we have ever been, and although we don't support big-time tanning, we are looking forward to getting a bit of sun on us again.
- No Storage Space - In our home in the UK, we didn't have closests or any real storage space. Our cabinets were tiny, and our fridge and freezer were smaller than the ones we had in our dorms in college. It'll be nice to be able to buy in bulk again so we don't have to go grocery shopping as often!
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