Goodbye Burritos

When I was three and a half years old, I sat with my grandma on her bed as she read to me, having scooted all our biscuit crumbs to my granddad’s side.  I like to think I spent a lot of time considering what I was about to say before I told to her, as matter-of-factly as a little girl can muster, “Grandma, someday I’m going to go to college here in England and you’re going to take care of my kids.” I can imagine that she was humored by this statement in the moment, but I believe, secretly, that the last words have left a hint of concern in her thoughts about my plans for university life. I could’ve chosen better wording for such a big request, seeing as I didn’t mean to sound as if I intended on having children in college. But it couldn’t be helped. After all, I was barely old or big enough to use the toilet unassisted, without the risk of falling in.

               It’s funny how things turn out, though. Because here I am, over fourteen years later, doing just what I said... minus the offspring.

               My reasons have changed every year of my life since then. For years I told myself I could never live in England, mostly because I wasn’t a huge fan of the weather or the slurping noises that accompany excessive amounts of tea consumption. But people and experiences have completely altered my opinion on the country I once found dismal. While my hair objects, the rain has become more of a scene-setter than a burden and I’ve even grown to enjoy full English breakfasts, in moderation. And then there are the nooks and crannies of Britain’s cities, which can only be found by young people seeking adventure. Having been to England three times in the past year, I’ve found myself constantly in distress boarding the plane home from the UK. I have so many friends and family members on both sides of the planet; it feels as if I will always be leaving one world behind.

               But, at the heart of every rationale, is my desire to travel and experience new things. What better place than an island populated with English speakers, close to so many other countries and cultures?  I see visitors here in California that appreciate our surroundings and lifestyle, because, to them, everything is exciting and different. And I envy the thrill that they get just from living in another country for a while. My reasoning is that, while the grass is pretty green on this side, the other side has castles and really good Indian food.

               One week away from the big move and I still don’t know which UK university I’ll be attending, since final decisions aren’t made until August. All I know is that by the end of this month, I will be cut off from burritos, mac ‘n cheese, and many more California delicacies. But it’s not just food withdrawals I’ll be suffering from for the next three years. A full mural of the beach will be plastered to my dorm’s wall, so I can at least assure myself some 2D sunshine, and I may have to spend Thanksgiving eating a turkey substitute, like pheasant, alone in my room pitifully waving my own American flag.  But my family and friends here are the two things I wish I could take with me wherever I go. I guess there are some sacrifices my little three year old self didn’t consider before she dictated my future over a milky cup of tea and The Little Engine That Could.