In March 2016 , our lives took an unexpected turn. My better half got a training opportunity in England ( us doctors – our ‘training’ and ‘education’ never ends!!) and since I couldn’t bear to be away from him for 2 years , I applied and got a job too! So here I am, sipping English breakfast tea at my table , looking out into my small walled garden , in a leafy suburb somewhere in the heart of England!!
My first thoughts on shifting to England were – its the home of Shakespeare , and Agatha Christie , and Jane Austen , and the Bronte sisters!! And many more of my favourite authors! I had grown up reading books on children who picnicked on grassy meadows , ate ham and cheese sandwiches and used words like ‘Gosh!’ and ‘jolly good’ . Later , as a teenager and then adult , I read about small English villages which almost always had a post office cum village shop where everyone knew everybody , women who shopped at Waitrose and Selfridges , afternoon tea soirees where dainty finger sandwiches were served with warm scones , clotted cream and strawberry jam. I had this rosy image of England in my head even before I set foot there and I am happy to say I wasn’t disappointed!
England has been all this and much more. The weather is much better than we thought it would be – no extreme temperatures , rain throughout the year means green grass all year round (and no need to water our lawn!!) , it rarely snows here so no disruption to normal life even in winter. It is also a vegetarian friendly country – walk into any pub and you will almost always find vegetarian options . England is child friendly too – children travel free on trains , they are welcomed in most pubs and restaurants and there are lovely parks and playgrounds in every town.
It is exciting to live here – I can now go on many weekend trips and visit places which I would have never done on , say , a 2 week trip to the UK. I am also glad my 4 year old son has the opportunity to experience a new culture – he may not remember much of his time here but his experiences and travels abroad will definitely enrich him.
I hope to write on my travels and experiences in England and share it with you. I would love to know if any of you have lived abroad for a while and what your experience was!