Top ten list of things British

Below is my top ten list of things I'm going to miss once I leave jolly old England (three days and counting):

1. old manors, castles and ruins—Kassie's fed up but we adults can't get enough
2. lovely little endearments— in Canada I'm not likely to be called "luv", "petal", "blossom", "mate", and certainly not "duck"
3. tripping over my English—I enjoy being confused by nouns like "jolly" and expletives such as "crikey", not to mention meeting amused, indulgent faces when I say things like "shrimp", "parking lot", "highway", "pants" and, lately, "movers"
4. charity shops—countless shops selling second-hand books, clothes, videotapes, you name it; also a great way to get rid of stuff
5. shopping on the High Street—who needs shopping centres or malls
6. coffee mornings—I'm sure I'll meet friends regularly for coffee in Montreal and Toronto too but I doubt we'll put a name to it
7. public footpaths—for those who fancy a walk through fields without threat of prosecution for trespassing
8. public transportation in the country—growing up in the country myself, I imagine I'd never have attempted to drive (and thus made the world a much safer place earlier on) if I'd been able to catch a bus to take me into the city
9. pub meals—particularly lamb dishes
10. the Brits' love of everything Canadian—even those who enjoy our company can't figure out why we'd leave such a fantastic country as Canada.

Most of all, of course, I'm going to miss each and every one of the friends I made while living in the charming town of Nantwich. You know who you are, guys. See you all in Canada. (Just don't come all at once, please!)