Dear England...

I hate the way your seagulls cry,
And the way your traffic roars.

I hate the way your WiFi sucks,
I hate your dirty floors.

I hate your coined currency,
and how it weighs my wallet down.

I hate that they can't find a pen,
when I use my 'swipe card' in town.

I hate the heat down in the Tubes,
I hate the crowded shops.

I hate it when I cross the street,
and look the wrong way to walk.

I hate the way things seem so cheap,
like I'm spending no money at all.

But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you,
not even close, not even a little bit,
not even at all.

But in all honesty, guys, I am going to miss it here. All I have talked about lately is how much I want to come home, but England really is great. As you can see above, there are some less than awesome things, but I mean, there's always some things no matter where you go. And if you didn't catch the poem reference, you're time in the 90s wasn't complete.

Now that you have seen what I won't miss about this lovely land, here's what will be fondly remembered:

Afternoon tea
There's nothing like some cream tea and scones with clotted cream and jam outside on the streets of Worcester. It's delicious and the town is beautiful. Always one of my favorite ways to relax. I can't wait to count out all my English coins so I can pay! (Note: sarcasm. It's going to be embarrassing most likely.)

Beautiful design. Everywhere.
While 'awesome' was probably the word that came out of my mouth most often this trip, 'cute' was a close second. I probably could have spent all of my money on greeting cards and maps if we're being honest. (Good thing I exercised some self control for once.) Not just print design, though. Exhibit design in the museum, architecture and fashion. Everything is just fantastically beautiful. And now I get to go back to Muncie. Joy.

"Cheers"
I probably heard this said about 1,000 times a day. Checking out from Tesco. Scanning in at the Tube. Random people walking down the street. It's so casual, but puts a smile on your face. I mean, it just sounds so much more cheery — hah — than a blunt 'hey.'

The view
No matter where I went, there was a beautiful sight to see. In Worcester, I had the best view of the sunset over the Malvern Hills every night. And I could talk a walk along the river with the Cathedral down at the end of the city center. In London, I fell in love with twilight walks along the Thames, with Parliament and the London Eye in the distance. IT'S JUST SO PRETTY HERE!

So much more that I can't even recall right now because I'm three weeks deep and my brain is fried.
Yeah, it's been a long trip. But a highly rewarding one at that. I will never forget this experience and value it so much.

Thanks, England. It's been a wild ride :)