Why I might actually miss England a little bit

Only 4 more sleeps until I will be heading to Japan. The past few weeks have been spent enjoying time with friends and family: I’ve eaten more bread and cheese than I could ever have dreamed of in the South of France, explored Brixton for the first time, bought even more cheese (potential addiction forming?) and stargazed from a hot tub near the Forest of Dean which we somehow managed to fit 9 people into.

Yurt camping in Forest of Dean

Borough Markets in London

Montignac shop signs for the Tour de France

I spent 2 days at the JET Programme orientation in London – this was alongside other UK ALTs learning about what was expected of us, what Japan is like and a crash course in Japanese. It was reassuring to meet like-minded people and realise that we were all in the same boat. One lecturer told us it was okay to make mistakes; what matters is making the effort to try and understand cultural customs. He also informed us that you can always find solace at your nearest Dunkin’ Donuts as that’s where all the Americans flock to…

I was initially convinced that once I left England I would never want to come back (I’d come back for Christmas dinner Mum), but the prospect of moving to the other side of the world has stirred a surprising sense of fondness for the country in me. I definitely would not be upset if I never had my shoes stick to the floor of Rock City again but there’s something endearing about the British that I don’t think I’ll find anywhere else. 

I used to be under the impression that ‘real’ travellers always felt at home somewhere else in the world and found better cultures and ways of living along the way, but I now realise that perhaps there isn’t anything wrong with enjoying your own culture equally as much. In reality, there is no perfect/right or wrong way to do things. Different ways of life are not better or worse, they’re just different. I really do hope to travel the world, but I will always have a place in my heart for England. Might not come back until after the Brexit storm has passed though!