WHAT will I miss most about the UK?
I was asked this question a few days ago and I am still struggling to come up with an answer.
It’s not that I won’t miss anything, there are many things.
As I pack up my life and head home after almost two years in London, I find it hard to decide what I’ll miss the “most”.
A few superficial things ran through my mind: the shopping, M&S’s amazing ready meals, free newspapers, Monster Munch.
But no, they weren’t the answer – these aren’t the things that drove me to move 10,000km or so to the other side of the world.
I gave it some more thought.
There’s the travel — having Europe on my doorstep has been truly amazing. I won’t be able to pop over to any European country for the weekend. I’ll miss that.
The music — from international superstars to new indie bands, the size and volume of festivals and gigs in the UK are impossible to match.
Call me crazy, but I am pretty certain I’ll miss the Tube. The frequency and reliability of the underground is really phenomenal. Can you imagine how much more Londoners would groan and moan if they had Melbourne’s public transport system to deal with? It’s a frightening thought.
I’ll miss how London never sleeps. I love the buzz of the bars and restaurants which, even on a weeknight, seem to be packed until dawn.
When it’s 40 degrees and I’m forced to work instead of spending the day at the beach, I might even find myself wishing for London’s weather. Maybe.
I could go on forever, pondering all the things that I may very well long for when I’m gone.
But the truth of the matter is that it’s way too early to tell.
Clichés like ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’ and ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ will no doubt ring true.
For now, the answer to that silly question will remain unknown, along with the next chapter of my life.
What would you miss most about London? Comment below now: