ENGLAND HAS ITS PERKS

I can FINALLY say I'm going home next week! I'm unbelievably excited to return to Guernsey for the summer to see my family and friends, go for walks and bike rides, do work experience and do lots of filming and blogging! I've been absolutely desperate to go home.

But as my final few days here are fast approaching, I've been thinking about the things I'm going to miss about England over the summer months! I suppose this is a good thing, because it'll make me want to come back in September - I hope!

Watching the trains
From my bedroom window in my university accommodation I have a perfect view of the trains coming in and out the station. Not only is this great for when I have to travel by train due to the fact it only takes me three minutes to walk there, but I love being able to see them. I find it quite relaxing and it makes me feel connected to the outside world


Travelling on trains!
Although travelling by train seemed a little daunting at the beginning of the year, coming from an island without them, I've really grown to love the whole process! The noises, the platform announcements, the hustle and bustle, the counting-down to how many stops until yours! And I just love the fact that I could hop on a train and go anywhere. Well, anywhere within England of course. But even that is a luxury when you've spent 18 years on a 5-mile by 7-mile island.

The shopping
Let's cut to the chase. Saying I'm a shopaholic is an understatement. I don't buy expensive items, but I buy them quite often. It has been an absolute delight to live in a town where there's a Topshop, a River Island, a Zara AND an H&M! Guernsey seriously lacks in clothes shops, and just shops generally, so I'll miss the choice of shops this summer!

Primark
It deserved a separate mention, it really did. Primark has fast become one of my favourite things about England. From what I understand, their work and employment practices/ethics aren't as bad as people think (http://www.primark.com/en/our-ethics), and they sell some really lovely things with amazingly affordable price tags. You can get almost anything in there and as someone who hates to spend more than £25 on anything, Primark is just the best. And I'll miss it.

Asda
In Guernsey, we have Waitrose, the Co-op and M&S to buy our food from. We have no Sainsbury's or Tesco's or Morrison's or most devastatingly, we have NO ASDA. I love Asda. I'm going to miss Asda.

McDonalds
I guess this is linked because my closest McDonalds is actually in Asda, but I will really miss McDonalds. This may be a permanent thing if I am indeed allergic to gluten because I won't be able to eat it anymore. Cry for Steph.

Watching TV with Katie
Well firstly I'm really going to miss my flatmate Katie SO MUCH. She's fab. But I'll particularly miss watching Made in Chelsea with her and The Sleepover Club (a programme that we watched when we were aged 10, of which I have the box set. Don't judge). She makes me laugh just by laughing and I will really miss living with her!

Friends and family
I haven't made that many close friends this year at uni but there's two or three people who I'll really miss over the summer! I've also seen quite a lot of my aunty, uncle and cousins on my Dad's side whilst I've been at uni this year because it doesn't take long to get to them from where I am, so I'll really miss being able to see them often!

As I am a real Guernsey girl, I found the adjustment to living in England very interesting and a little challenging, but I guess England has its perks! Bring on September!

But first, bring on summer in Guernsey because I truly can't wait a day longer...