people/places/things that will be missed

I do not miss Atlanta traffic (then again I don't live in London!) and I do not miss living in the 'burbs isolated from everything though I miss my house, hard wood oak floors and yard (we only have a courtyard here). 

What I don't miss:

1) I don't miss driving to work every day - even though I am going to try to get a license.
2) Running into old boyfriends
3) Some of the idiocy about issues such as gay/lesbian stuff & abortion choice
4) The expense of coming to Europe for a visit (much less expensive for me now)
5) People not making an effort to come visit me (family & friends) - now they all want to come my way to see me & London/England

Honestly - I feel quite at home here.  While I'd love to see my family a bit more, I didn't really see them all that often anyway.  My mom has moved from Pa to NM and so I'd rarely see her anyway even if I was living in the States...and I'll never move back to where I grew up (and where Dad & brother live) as I would go slowly mad there...so if I had kids, I still wouldn't have the family around anyway...there's no draw for me to move back unless I lose my job here. (which if I continue to post this much today might happen! )

I'll leave out family, best friends and my cat since you can't exactly get your fill of that before moving (well, in a way you can and the amount of time I spent in close contact with my family for the week before leaving actually did take me a few months to get over   )

So other than those:

1. Food items: going out for breakfast, Mexican, really good pizza, sushi, good coffee, Briana's Poppy Seed salad dressing, cocktails (fancy, proper cocktails that I know you can get at bars in London, but you get a blank stare when you ask for one in most pubs!)

2. Shopping related: Target, Whole Foods, having access to a Costco card

3. Getting around: my car, knowing where I'm going in London (could get ANYWHERE in SF with my eyes closed)

4. My stuff (didn't move furniture or really heavy stuff... yet)

5. Reality TV (I know, I'm sad, but I miss the Bachelor. I know, I'm sad.   )

But I have to say that I really don't miss any of the above all THAT much. Breakfasts and Mexican food. If I could get Boogaloo and a burrito joint imported from San Francisco my life would be complete. LOL.

What I DON'T miss:

1. Grocery checkers wanting to tell you their life story (I know I'm not in the majority on that one, but when I'm running errands, I want to run them and get out - I'm not much of a chit-chatter.

2. Traffic. I now understand why roundabouts make more sense then stop lights.

3. Never seeing the seasons - I'm from northern California and it's always the same - either sunny or foggy and temperate. The leaves don't fall, it's never cold enough for a scarf and gloves, you can't mark spring by snow drops -> dafodils -> blue bells, and maybe it's because it was always mild, but I never appreciated summer so much that I was outside all the time and always had the windows open - I spent more time outside last summer than in the past year in California!

4. Consumer culture. I know it can be bad here as well, especially in our neighbourhood, but I definitely don't feel the pressure to have, have, have here....

5. Having to drive everywhere.

I just got back from visiting home about a month ago, we were in arizona, and some ghetto white trash guy was yelling and hollering at some lady who was walking ahead of him, on her way to her car. He was saying the usual sexual trashy stuff, and I was almost surprised, because I'd nearly forgotten that men can be that way. So uncivilized.
Been here nearly three years now, and have never seen anyone, (male or female) act that way towards another person. I mean, I've seen disrespectful teenagers doing there thing, adults acting trashy.

sorry, BUT NOT adults acting trashy I meant to say!!!

sorry, BUT NOT adults acting trashy I meant to say!!!

You have been lucky...and I am happy that you have been.  It's like me with anti-American people... I have run into very few of them while some on here run into every goon alive...

 I know a guy who he and his mates basically caused some poor girl to have to change her route to work because of harrassment.. really explicit cat calls. Needless to say we have grown apart.   I also got to witness a guy slapping his kid up side the head at a MOTO stop and telling him to "shut up you little MFer."  Trash is every where....  

Best absolute most wonderful thing about living in the UK is NEVER having to worry about running into "old friends" who weren't such good friends after all. 

Or ex's! Yikes!

Things I don't miss.....
Blizzards (not the DQ kind)
and the US Government!!!!

NON food stuff

1. House conveniences--(Garbage disposals, vanity sinks, being able to plug appliances in the bathroom, mixer taps in the bathroom, clothes dryer, double  basin sinks.. )  I know this isn't true  for all of you..

2. Customer service--I hate feeling like you are imposing on people  to  get service  whether it be at a  food store, electronic store or whatever..

3.  24 hour  diner type places  like  Denny's Coco's, Ihop,

4. Family and friends  and  stuff that made my identity... especially my  teaching job.. it was the best job I ever had..   :\\\'( :\\\'(.. and  like others mentioned.. feeling like it was  your  place and being able to  go and move and  function without thinking about it..or wondering if you were 'doing it all right'

5. stuff being cheaper.. renting movies, matinees, cheap fast food.. (whatever you'd do on  a  leisurely day  with friends)

Food stuff

1. Variety of restaurants
2. Pickle relish
3. nutter Butters
4. ingredients  you can't find  here  or  you struggle finding..  like Black beans,  asparagus, fresh herbs,  not having stuff  in season all the time
5. stuff you can find as others  mentioned are just TOO expensive for me to justify..like cake  mixes, aunt Jemima syrup, Raman noodles, peanut butter,

stuff I don't miss
1. CA  traffic  (lived  in CA  for  29 years)  like the  405..
2. pollution
3. crowds and noise..just the  'mall' experience  would feel like  a busy airport to me now..
4. not being able to walk to  places.. not having a good  train  and  bus  system..
4. not feeling the need  to  spend  "just because".. I am much more  aware  of  how much money I don't have now..

4. Family and friends  and  stuff that made my identity... especially my  teaching job..

Just a very brief note of encouragement - YOU make your identity - you're still the lovely person you were then. It may not feel like it if you're feeling like a fish-out-of-water, but she's still in there despite your environment rather than because of it. 

Azroomie, Im surprised your list was that short!  XX 

Sunny Beaches at proper temps

My bulldog Princess

all you can eat buffets

Or ex's! Yikes!

Not much chance of unexpectedly running into my ex in Edinburgh.  He refers to his one and only trip to Scotland as the "worst vacation ever".....it was our honeymoon!   

Not much chance of unexpectedly running into my ex in Edinburgh. He refers to his one and only trip to Scotland as the "worst vacation ever".....it was our honeymoon!

My ex husbeast refers to England as a "third world country". He's coming next weekend. Hope he forgets to get his vaccinations!

Azroomie, Im surprised your list was that short!  XX 

Just following directions.. she said  top  FIVE.. you know I can  go on..  xx
thanks  for your patience!!