5 Things I Love About England

It has been exactly 5 years since I landed on the shores of England with 5 small boxes, 3 suitcases, a hubby and a then 2 year old in tow to begin our new life on the other side of the world. Some of our friends thought we'd gone loco, others wanted to come along. It was the start of our exciting, sometimes scary and at times frustrating adventure. 5 years on......what an incredible adventure it has been. And not forgetting the wonderful people that came into our lives. Here are 5 things I love about England.





1. Online delivery

Oh. Em. Gee. Lifesaver. Better than epidural. If you call sliced bread a fantastic invention, online delivery is like.....a million times cleverer. I used to spend 5 hours every Saturday just doing grocery. Butcher - that a way. Veggie store - another direction. Supermarket....you get the picture. The queuing. Hauling bag after bag. Unpacking. Come next Saturday, I'll have to do it all over again. Here, the lovely driver does ALL that for you. Up the stairs, into your kitchen.

It was a revelation that I could shop for practically anything online. Sure, returning items can be a pain and sometimes you've gotta feel the texture, try the top etc but still, you don't need to spend unnecessary hours shopping especially with a young child in tow.



2. Europe on my doorstep

I used to dream of saying things like "I was just in Paris over the weekend". Now I do. And I even post the photos in Facebook just to drive my friends and family back in NZ mad with jealousy (just cos I'm turning middle age soon doesn't mean that I'll relinquish my childish tendencies anytime soon).

The entire Europe is on my doorstep. I can hop on a plane and less than 2 hours later, I'm in a different country with a completely different language and culture. That, to a Kiwi, is mind boggling.




3. The heritage

I used to squeal whenever I touch a several hundred year old building. My English friends would sniff and say, "that's nothing. Touch this. THIS is 1200 years old. ". You've got to give me some credit. There's nothing truly old in Borneo (other than the rainforest) or New Zealand so a 300 year old building IS old.

I love how there's such respect for antiquities here where there are organizations set up to preserve them for the next generation and beyond.




4. London

The word Paris is uttered with such reverence and fascination, often perpetuated by the myth that it's a City of Lights, love and all that jazz (pun intended) that comes with it. There are tons of former Parisians who jumped ship and live in England. The common theme that I hear from my Parisian friends is opportunities. For most of them, there are more opportunities and diversity over this side of the Channel.

Depending on who you ask, London or New York is considered the financial capital of the world. London is the world's greatest foreign exchange market (as mentioned here). I probably wouldn't have the opportunity to delve into the fashion industry had I not live so close to London. The streets of London may not be lined in gold but nonetheless, it's an exciting and fascinating city seeped in so much history yet offers a plethora of opportunities. 




5. Public transportation

It's a novelty not to drive. The public transportation is pretty darn amazing. Try doing the same in Auckland and you'll never go anywhere. Over there, without a car, you're practically rendered helpless. I love the very thought of hopping on the train, read a book, et voilà.... you've reached your destination without dealing with mad Kiwi drivers who can't bear anyone overtaking them, has a self imposed personal space larger than a boulder and God forbid should you go nearer or faster than them (and for that reason, hubby is banned from driving when I'm in the car with him. He suffers from Mad Kiwi Driver syndrome too).