People often ask me what I miss about home. Of course, I miss my family and friends the most, but there are often foods, stores and just "things" that I miss from the good old U.S. I have to be careful here. I don't want to sound like I am just complaining. Truthfully, I am enjoying England more than I thought I was going to 6 months ago. Living away from home, especially this far, has taught me more than I ever would have imagined. I have learned about different cultures, foods, education systems and priorities. More importantly, I have learned about myself. I have learned about my own strengths and weaknesses. I have deepened my relationship with my husband and our children. I never thought I was going to leave St. Louis. After living in two other states and one other country, I would say to anyone who has the opportunity to live away for a while to go for it. It will not always be easy, but you will gain so much from the experience.
Having said that, here are the things I missed today...
1. Parking lots: I missed being able to run to the mall or a store and park in a parking lot that was free of charge. Instead, I drove around looking for a free spot to park on the street and then walked 2 blocks to the mall to purchase one quick item.
2. One-Hour Photo: I missed being able to sit at home at my computer and upload pictures to a store's website and then pick them up in the store just an hour later for a reasonable price and good quality. Instead, I waited in line at a Kodak photo machine for 15 minutes with a sleeping baby wondering if I was going to get my errands done before she awoke. I paid 39 pence (58 cents) for each picture. You can upload pictures online and they will be mailed to your house in about one week, but there are no one-hour photo places nearby.
3. Hobby Lobby: I think I miss Hobby Lobby at least once a week. I miss having a one-stop shop for all of my craft and sewing needs. I found a scrapbooking store that sells colored cardstock, a curtain store that sells fabric and ribbon and the pound store sells little Easter crafts.
4. Kinko's: I missed the convenience of having your 5 minute job done as you wait. Even after calling ahead, I had to leave what I needed done and return 2 hours later. Yes, that meant I had to drive around looking for another free place to park!
There are pros and cons wherever you live, but today was just one of those days where I missed some conveniences from home. I did, however, enjoy the blue skies and sunshine today. It was a perfect day for our 20 minute walk home from school.
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