old and new, and missing england

antique books

a pub

senior pic... right?

house that needs sticks to hold it up

antiques

my grandparents lovely little home in the countryside

So, this is it. I told you England would come to an end at some point. It finally hit me today, actually, that I was there, and how wonderful it all was. I am so thankful for the amazing opportunities I have had to travel to Europe and see all the sights and experience the culture. Not many people get to do that, I'm aware. I tried to soak in every moment of this trip, and love it for all it was worth. (except for the waking up screaming part. that part can go die far far away). The people in England are so friendly, so willing to help and to get to know you! I was so impressed with the hospitality, and the way they live. So, for now, I'll leave you with something I wrote on my phone while I was there. I intended for this to be a blog post, so I guess I will now make it happen.

America vs. England

The thing about America is that it is new. And it loves being new. We all want the newest things. Cars, fashion, houses, technology (the newest Apple product)... Everything new! We love improvement, and we love to see the improvement right in front of our eyes, and our neighbors eyes, and our friends and family who live far aways eyes. We seek new things. We take what we are given, and we make it better. It's the same today as it was back in the Mayflower times. They came here seeking something new and better. An improved way of life. So our forefathers set the tone. New and improved.

The thing about England is that it is old. And it loves being old! They build new things that look old because they love it so much. It's a tradition, and a celebration of heritage. It is what it is, and it's proud of it. The thatched roof is a status symbol, they have tea time, the punt the cam, and restore castles, and go to the pub. They always have, and they always will. They love being old. It's respectable and classy, and they're good at it too. 

Neither way is better. America loves being new because it is new. Because it always has been, and always will be, and it's the way we are! England has good reason to be old. It is an old and experienced country, and it wants to show that off forever. America's heritage is a bunch of new age, new thinking, new living people, and England's heritage dates back for thousands of years.

It's just how it is, and I like it that way.

p.s. seriously, if you ever want to hear another kissing story from me again, you should like the blog :) at least three more people!