Tuesday 19 February 2013

What I Missed Today...

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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