It’s been about a week since I left home, so I wanted to do a quick recap of things that I’ve learned since I’ve been here in Bury St. Edmunds.
- On Food
- Marks and Spencer is a fantastic replacement for Trader Joe’s.
- Thai food in England is meh.
- Produce at farmers markets is ridiculously cheap. They sell bowls of fruits and veggies for 1 pound sterling ($1.36). For example one bowl will contain 4 small avocados or 5 tangerines or 8 nectarines or 4 bananas or 15 white mushrooms or 1 bushel of mini tomatoes.
- Sparkling mineral water is also ridiculously cheap. 2 liters for 50 pence. ($0.65 USD)
- On Weather
- It’s been sunny 4/7 days I’ve been here because it can’t rain all the time.
- Even the “rainy” days are more like sprinkles.
- Rainbows seem extra vibrant.
- On Dog-sitting
- Some dogs self-soothe by sucking/kneading a stuffed toy to wind down and prepare for bedtime. It’s endearing.
- Dogs poop in alignment with Earth’s magnetic field. Not only that, but canines choose to do so in a north-south axis.
- English bulldogs fart a lot.
- Having dogs is like having children. They are your complete and utter responsibility to keep happy and alive.
- On Small Town Living
- It takes 3 hours and 15 min to ride a bus to Suffolk from London. A region where most Londoners have never been or at least the ones that I have talked with.
- Bury St. Edmunds is a town of 35,000 people versus the 4 million in Los Angeles. For comparison, my undergrad college in California had about 40,000 students!
- I’ve only been here a week and people that I’m running into in the streets are already starting to recognize me and vice versa.
- On Money
- Free ATM withdrawals almost on every corner. I almost opened a HSBC bank account at home in anticipation of going abroad. But, with my Capital 360 ATM card they don’t charge me for using other banks like Chase does. This sounds like an ad but it’s not. Just a tip.
- One pound is equal to about $1.36.
- It hasn’t been as expensive as I thought it would be but making food at home and using my feet to explore town helps a ton.
- Random musings
- I’m finding myself talking to the dogs a lot because I don’t have an outlet yet. Though, walking the dogs around town I have made lots of small talk with total strangers. Which I normally, as an introvert, don’t like but I’m now enjoying it.
- I’ve surprised myself at how easily I’ve adapted to living in a brand new city in a place where I only know 1 person and 2 dogs.
- My natural instinct to always find something productive to do. Because I never really learned how to be still and present in the moment. But, I think I’m finally getting there.
- I’m digging small-town life. I like that I don’t have to drive anywhere. I literally walk out the door and everything is within walking distance.
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