Brazil x England – (Ding Ding!)

It’s now been over two months since I arrived back in the UK from my holiday in Brazil. I’ve had enough time to analyse how the trip went, although when you go to see family and friends it’s bound to be good anyway. In fact, it seems like it happened ages ago and I miss he place and everyone already!

As you may/may not know, I live in the UK and all my family and childhood/teenage years friends live in Brazil, so every time I go I try to see as many people as I can to make sure that the bonds that are so important to me stay as they are: strong.

This time, there was a difference, though. I took the boyfriend with me. I was a little anxious as to what he would think of Brazil… but let the trip run its course without asking him a million times whether he was having a good time or not. I could actually see for myself that he was happy, but I didn’t want to keep on asking the question and annoying the hell out of him.

It turns out that he loves it, which is fantastic! It was funny to watch him around my family and friends. Lee is a naturally quiet person and he’ll only really let go when he has known the person for a little while (or if he is drunk, ha!). Even so, it seemed like he felt pretty comfortable being around everyone, which was a relief. At the end of the holiday, I left Brazil with my parents and friends telling me what a catch he is (and because he now knows what they think, I’ll have to look at his smug face forever!).

Anyway, this post is not about that, really, it’s about me thinking of Brazil and REALLY thinking about the reasons why I chose not to live there. I have written about this here before, mainly about not being able to explain why I chose to live in England over Brazil.

Now here’s the truth: these are two completely different countries in so many ways… age, politics, society, culture, economy, etc. Even so, I find that a few of my top reasons for not living in Brazil are quite shallow considering other issues that could well tip the balance in England’s or Brazil’s favour.

So here they are:

1. Hay fever

Who suffers from this sneezing-evil condition will know what I’m talking about. In Brazil, I am ALWAYS sneezing, my nose is always running and I find that this has a massive impact on my quality of life. In England, I only suffer from hay fever for a couple of months during spring, if that.

England 1 x Brazil 0

2. Security

In England, Lee and I go out at night and walk back home, no matter the distance or the time. I do not worry and I am not scared walking around in England. In Brazil, as everyone knows, the story is very different. Lately, it seems to have been getting  even worse.

England 1 x Brazil 0

3. Food

In England, a much smaller country than Brazil, there seems to be so much more food variety. And although the fruit and veg do taste a lot better in Brazil, England’s selections of cheese make up for it in one go.

England 1 x Brazil 0

4. Travel

In Brazil, the airports can be quite disorganised and the air fares are not always the most friendly on the pocket. In fact, it can be cheaper to travel abroad than it is travelling within the country! England, on the other hand, proves to be a fantastic connection to the world and the amazing places out there.

England 1 x Brazil 0

5. Salary

This was always a positive about England. Not anymore. 13 years ago, I remember working in a restaurant in London, paying for all my bills whilst renting a room in a house with other friends, going out and still being able to save to go travelling. Now, the same recession that seems to have impulsed growth in Brazil, hit England in a bad way. Having a job is a bonus and saving any money can be compared to performing a small miracle. Having said that, I recently read that the cost of living in Brazil has skyrocketed, leaving people with no choice but to swallow hard and carry on.

Brazil 1 x England 0

6. Organisation

For as long as I remember, getting any kind of document in Brazil is a very good reason for a headache. The queues are never-ending, the forms are not straight-forward and there are always obscure rules that no one knows about. In England, everything is so black and white it can even get embarrassing if you don’t understand how things work. They make it easy for everyone and usually things are done pretty quickly.

England 1 x Brazil 0

7. Politics

In Brazil, we all know how messy this scenario is. Year after year, the same corrupt politicians are still part of the government (how?) and most people still seem to sell their votes to the highest bidder. In England, the majority seems to take much more of an interest in politics. They recognise how it affects daily life and make sure they have their say.

England 1 x Brazil 0

8. The climate

Yes, ok, call me crazy, but I prefer to be in the cold than in the scalding hot weather of Brazil. It drives me absolutely mad to be sweating all day every day, to sleep unfomfortably and not be able to function properly if not in the mercy of an air con. I like the cold weather England has to offer which, funnily enough, is what the English try to run away from at any given opportunity. Yes, I like sunny days, but by the beach. For city living and a working life, I’m happy where I am, thank you.

England 1 x Brazil 0

So, if you have done the maths, England wins 7×1. But it’s not just about this list. There is something else. Still, unfortunately, it’s that something I can’t explain. There must be something in the air. Or I might have past connections with this place – yes, I do believe this is possible! I don’t know what it is. I love Brazil to bits and it will always be my favourite country where a lot of people I love are but, to me,  nowhere else says HOME as England does. For now. (ha!)

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My neck of the woods…

When I first came to England, I lived in London for 3 years. Then, I went back to Brazil to finish university (I was half way through it at that point) and then moved back to the UK to be with the person I (then) loved. We then went to live in Lancashire because of his work. We are no longer together, but I’m still here! I ended up in this little part of the world by chance and now feel so at home that I miss it when I’m not here. Talk about destiny…

I’m originally from Novo Hamburgo, a city in the south of Brazil and, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the place. It’s where I was born, where my family and best friends are and it’s the place that I know like the palm of my hand. However, I think that sometimes you just connect with other places and this is exactly what happened when I moved to Lytham St Annes. As the expression goes, this is my neck of the woods.

Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and Lytham St Annes form a seaside resort. These towns are situated to the south of Blackpool at the point where the coastline turns east to form the estuary of the River Ribble (often called Ribble Ribble by the locals) inland to Preston. St Annes, like Blackpool, overlooks the Irish sea.

St Annes is internationally renowned for golf and has four golf courses and links, the most famous being the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, one of the hosts for the Open Championship (also known as the ‘British Open’), which has been a competition course since first hosting the Open in 1926. Approximately once every ten years, the coming of The Open—a major sporting event—brings a major influx of visitors, including the world’s media, into our fairly peaceful community. Celebrities come to appreciate the golf championship and cause a bit of a havoc in the community. As you can see, the place is nothing like London, where celebrities can be spotted at Nando’s anytime. This year St Annes was the host for The Open again and I could witness the buzz for myself. Many people are out and about and the athmosphere is great!

St Annes, as the place is usually called (dropping the ‘Lytham’) is magical. You have sea, sand, nice people, nice pubs, international sport events (once every ten years so it doesn’t spoil the calmness of the place), amazing sunsets and a peaceful life. What more can you ask for?

Below are some of my snaps of St Annes, so I can share what all the fuss is about… there is a lot to see and do, but you’ll still feel like you are on a peaceful holiday.

The St Annes Pier…

The band stand…

The beach huts on the prom…

The swam and the ducks… Awww…

The ice cream stand…

The little café on the prom…

The local pub…

The main promenade…

A carefully placed bench…

Another great local pub, 5 minutes from home…

And yet another pub… no shortage here. This is 2 minutes from home!

Part of the lovely ‘square’, which is the main shopping area of S Annes…

The train station…

And even if all of the above didn’t exist, I’d still want to live here because of this one below… the sunset is the most amazing I have ever seen!

So there you have it… my little tribute to St Annes, a little town that welcomed me with arms wide open and that makes me feel at home every single day. So much so that I can’t think of living anywhere else anymore…

Dear London…

I recently went to London to celebrate a big birthday with a very good friend of mine. I live in the North West of England but I lived in London for 3 years, nearly 10 years ago. I loved it then. Now, every time I go, I experience a mixture of feelings about the place. One is nostalgia because I remember things from the past, places I had good times at, people that enriched my life back then. The other feeling is one of dispair. As soon as I step off the train, I’m quickly reminded of how busy things can get in London and how rushed people are on the streets, on the tube, everywhere! Then, something a bit strange happens: I start behaving a bit like everyone else and get agitated if things start getting in my way. Maybe I’m just a true Londoner at heart and the calmness of the North is just a disguise…

Thinking about the place, I compiled a little list of what I love and hate about London. Here we are:

Hate number 1: People that stop in front of the barrier to find their Oyster card

You’re in a tube station and your goal is to get the train. You know that an Oyster card or ticket is required. Why then do you wait until you reach the barrier before you try and find it? It would be so much easier if people just planned ahead a little so as to not to let a long queue pile up behind them.

Hate number 2: Not letting people off the train first (or not moving down the carriage)

This should go without saying as it’s just a case of common sense, really. If you want to get on a train, you wait until everyone that wants to come out is out before you step on, right? No, of course not. Some seem to think that there’s no need for that. Just go in, sod the rest. Not very nice. Tuc, tuc, tuc.

Hate number 3: Escalator etiquette

Sorry that this is about the tube again, but it does seem that the most annoying things about London do happen underground. Must be the air. Now here there is only one rule to obbey and it’s so easy to remember it hurts: all you have to do if you are lazy to walk down the stairs is to stand on the right hand side. This leaves the left hand side for the busy London people to rush down and not miss that train, even though there will be another in 2 minutes. Never mind. Just stand on the right and you’ll avoid lots of grumpy faces. Simple.

Hate number 4: My purse is empty!

Whenever I go to London, I budget to spend a certain amount and always (but ALWAYS) come back and realise I spent at least half as much. I blame it on the cafe culture. Everyone eats out in London, it’s just the way it is. I love going to a cafe to catch up with a friend, but in London people seem to have every meal out. My over budget spending might also have something to do with musicals (which I love), museum/art galleries entries and shops. So, in reality, I shouldn’t blame London, really, but my lack of control near temptation instead. Now that’s a confession!

Hate number 5: Where is the bin?

Back to the days of the IRA’s bin-bomb campaign, the lack of bins was understandable, but nowadays it’s practically impossible to find a bin in London. They say that they would make it far too easy for a terrorist to just plant a bomb in them. However, it would be just as easy for a terrorist to plonk a bomb in a rucksack and leave it on the street, since Londoners don’t really take much notice of whatever is not right under their nostrils. Bins everywhere, please, no excuses!

Love number 1: Southbank

Now I can start talking about the reasons to love London and Southbank is a really good one. Walking along the river Thames is just so beautiful. There is art, there is nature, there is civilised people (people actually seem calmer in that part of the city than anywhere else). And just a short walk around the corner there is my beloved Tower Bridge, my favourite London sight. Can’t ask for more.

Love number 2: Affordable World Food

From Indian to Italian to Spanish to French cuisine, you’ll fnd it all in London and at affordable prices – depending of where you go, of course. The many food markets are just incredible and you have more ways than one to awaken your taste buds. Just listen to what your palate is asking for and go for it. Experiment. Dare. Enjoy.

Love number 3: Art, everywhere!

Photography, theatre, museums, galleries, take your pick. London can offer whatever floats your boat. If you are clever, you can go into places for free, although certain exhibitions can set you back a few quid. Money spent on appreciating art is always money well spent in my view, though, so whenever I visit, my budget always allows for this. It’s just such a pleasure to see new things. Art keeps you thinking, it shows you new ways of seeing the world and motivates you to be creative. What’s not to love?

Love number 4: Friends, friends, friends

London is home to some of my best friends and nothing is better than visiting them. Some of them are from my university years and others are from the time when I was discovering London as my new home. Memories are everywhere and the fact that we have the city in commom somehow just makes it all the more special.

Love number 5: It’s London!

What more can I say?

So there you have it, my little list of things to love and hate about London. I put this together quite quickly as if I was to spend a long time thinking about it, thew list of what to love would be a lot more extensive than the list of what to hate. London is magical, you have to go and feel the magic for yourself. There will always be something you haven’t seen before, a place to go, something to experience, an undiscovered gem. So, my advice is: if you haven’t been, go and become a lover too. Pronto.

Right turn, left turn

Today I got thinking about the choices we make in life. I was thinking about how my life turned out to be in England and not in Brazil. I have said it here before that when people ask me why I live here I don’t even have a plausible answer. I just kind of nod (‘Yep, I’m from Brazil!) and say a few sentences hoping that they will suffice. They never seem to do, though, and the reason for that is because I don’t think my answers are convincing enough. It’s hard to even convince myself sometimes. This got me thinking abot what my life would be like, right now, if I was living in Brazil.

I have discussed this with some fellow migrants before, and the majority of us agree that when we move away from home, we tend to do everything a bit later than everybody else. The process of finding our feet in a completely different country with its own rules and no family around to help takes a little time. So, basically, the time we’d be getting on with the ‘normal process’ of life in our native countries, we are finding out how to register with a doctor, apply for citizenship or how to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Now, I’m not assuming here that life has an order, all I’m saying is that people seem to follow patterns and the majority does things according to some kind of unspoken rule: the rule of ‘society’.

The word society, according to the Oxford English Dictonary, means “the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.” Ah, I see… society means that we have to live with a group of people and follow the same rules. I like that. Rules are necessary when we live in a group. And I like it because in no way, shape or form the statement says that we have to be the same. But how is it that, somehow, we seem to think that being the same is the best?

I seemed to have taken longer to find a job that I love, for example. I tried different things (like accountancy) and after hating one particular thing (accountancy), I decided to go back to what I learnt at uni: good and old marketing. And guess what? It was the right thing to do. Had I stayed in Brazil and lived there my whole life, would I have had many jobs? Would I be in my dream job now? Mmmm… I don’t really know the answer. But I can surely ask the question and spend some afternoons wondering what the answer would be.

I also seemed to have taken a little longer in finding the right person to spend my life with (did I, really?). And, again, I’m not even sure if this IS the right person whith whom I’ll be spending the rest of my life with (who knows, anyway?) but hey, for now it definitely is, so let’s go with that. I wonder if I was in Brazil I’d be married with (and here comes the third of my divagations)… KIDS! Now this is something I’ve talked about many a time before and if you read my blogs you may have already read about it (sorry, but here I go again!). The decision of having kids still doesn’t make much sense in my head. For some bizarre reason, I’m not really maternal and, believe it or not, I still feel like a teenager. I did play with dolls when I was a kid, but it was never to be cuddling them, it was to have some kind of control (now that’s a hard one to admit, give me some credit). I used to play that I was this busy mummy that worked a lot and had this busy life and had to juggle everything. I used to play that I was on my phone trying to organise people, places, ballet classes and christenings. Poor me, little weirdo.

Well, I grew up to be very far from what I maybe imagined I’d be by now. I am quite a placid person who hates confrontation. Yes, I say what I thinkmost of the time, but I’d rather never see you again than to have a full-blown argument. I just hate it. I am still the goofy person of always, though. I especially love making fun of myself. This really is my favourite. I still hate peas, but I no longer think I can live off my written word, as I once dreamt. I quickly realised how impossibly hard that would be.

As for organising everything and everyone, I think this may have been one route, but I see myself slowly moving the other way. I can kind of feel the weight of making all the decisions all the time, it’s exhausting. Let it be, for Christ’s sake! Let go of trying to have control of the controllable and the incontrollable.

I feel quite under pressure sometimes, to be doing what other people expect me to be doing. At my (tender) age of 33, maybe I was supposed to be doing this or that, but hey, I’m not (or maybe I am, who knows?). Still, though, I feel this pressure hanging around, but what annoys me the most is that I actually fall pray of this little machine called society and these unspoken ideas about what I should be doing with my own life. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I wish it didn’t affect me but hey, it does, somehow. And this is what drives me crazy. I wish I didn’t care one bit about what other people think and I wish I didn’t worry about turning right or left and the effects such turns can have in my life.I should go for it a bit more, perhaps, and just see what happens… I shouldn’t worry about pleasing everybody, this is never going to happen anyway.

Ok, rant over! And to end it well, here’s to a life with NO RULES!

PS: right, just for the record, nothing bad happened to me, I just got really carried away with thinking about rules, expectations, ageing and reality. And then I had to share my thoughts here with you, poor reader. 😉

 

Rules of engagement

I guess the main thing I had to comply with when I decided to move to England permanently was that in this country rules are usually followed. In Brazil, we have a theory that if rules are getting in the way, we may just overlook them and that’s it. I’m not talking about big things like politics, etc, because we all know that in that sector Brazil fails miserably. I’m talking about the little rules of our everyday life. The rules that make us make sense of living within a community.

When I just moved here, I was in the car with my then husband and we were approaching some crossroads. I saw the lights turn to red and, even so, decided I was still able to cross it, based on the “you still have 5 seconds after the lights turn to red” rule created by myself when I used to drive in Brazil. Oh my God! I unleashed a beast in the car! Then husband nearly had a heart attack as I went through the lights and I got a massive telling off including “Do you want to kill us?” and “Are you going crazy” comment type of reaction. That day, it became clear that I better watch myself in this country.

Another one: drink and drive. Never ever would you think of doing this in England, even when in Brazil, despite all the rules, fines and points you can get for it, nobody really obeys. It’s absolutely wrong to do it, and I’m amazed that people here follow this rule with no questions asked. And when I say no questions asked, I mean that they don’t even consider it. It’s amazing and SO right! (and at the same time, I’m SO not used to it! – but still follow it, of course).

Another one: using your indicators. In Brazil, nah… no such bother. Here, all I can hear in my car when driving (unless I’m on a very long straight road like a motorway, which really never happens) is the tic tac, tic tac of the indicators. Good girl, me.

But it’s not just in traffic that the ‘following the rules rule’ is followed with no complaints. People form queues, people say please and thank you, people let other people go first, people don’t say rude things to other people in the street. Is this what they call civilization? I like it, I like it a lot. And I think I really got used to it, because when I go back to Brazil, certain things leave me gobsmacked!

I’m not trying to say that one country is better than the other, not at all. I’m talking about differences and how certain nationalities behave differently. If I was to give any advice to anyone wanting to make England their home, I’d say: follow the rules and you will be fine, you will fit right in.

Now, if you wanted to move to Brazil, my advice would be quite another. Get yourself some good sunglasses because there, my friend, you have to get used to what the Brits can’t have and crave so much: a glorious sunshine.

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet…

Oh, what a glorious weekend we were blessed with! The sun is shining and EVERYONE seems to be out and about! From our lovely balcony, that we are growing to love more and more, we can see and hear kids, dogs, cars, people, sea and happiness all round. It’s amazing the effect of the sun in this country. In Brazil, because we are so used to the hot weather, we kind of take it for granted, I think. Here, when the sun comes out, everyone goes automatically from grumpy to happy.

I can see how the sun just makes things look better… it’s almost like everything around is lighter, more touchable even. And then there is the fact that the sun makes us feel free. Free from the layers and layers of clothes, free from closed doors and windows, free from the winter blues. Now, everything is yellow, yellow, yellow, the colour of vibrancy, warmth and happiness.

It’s funny that after this long living in England – over 10 years now -, I feel just like any other British person in respect of sunny days. I jump out of bed when I notice a bit more light than usual coming through the curtains, I relish any possible time taking in all the rays and I pull a face when the weather man says that the cold weather is approaching once again.

Seeking for sunshine tells us that we are all the same, somehow. We are all in the same boat, rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy. When it comes to the weather, we have no power at all – although some may argue that the hotter summers and colder winters are actually our doing (which I’d agree with!). And because none of us have power over it, we all  feel blessed when we have a big yellow ball in the sky. It’s the one thing that unites people anywhere in the world, the one thing that we all treasure. And in England, this is even more exacerbated because, in a country where the three months of summer usually present us with 10 days of actual sunshine, we all know very well that it doesn’t happen very often. And this is why every sunny day makes us celebrate and enjoy it as much as we can.

The real house by the beach

We moved! After quite a few posts about the preparations of moving from one place to another, I can now say that we have actually done it. Lee and I transferred our little lives from a house to a flat, from sharing accommodation to living all by ourselves. OOooo, I’m scared! (nah, not really).

I’m most excited about being able to do whatever I want to the place. Ok, it’s rented so I may not have all that freedom, really, but I can have it as we want it and I can do one of my favourite things: change stuff around without consulting anyone. Well, the quick word with Lee helps, I guess, but he always grunts some “fine” and I carry on.

The new place is great. It’s at the top of our budget and let’s hope we don’t lose our jobs, but we are quite amazed that we were lucky to find a place that is just literally opposite the sea and that we could afford. My new morning routine now consists of having a coffee watching the sea from the sofa before going to work, as opposed to dashing off in a hurry, and this kind of thing is what I call improved quality of life.

Now let me just say this… I’m not bragging… we have been thinking about doing this for quite some time and we had to plan and save pennies to be able to do it so, if anything, I’m proud of our little achievement and just thought I’d share my happiness here. Life is not easy nowadays and when you achieve something, however small, I reckon it’s worth celebrating!  hehe…

The strangest thing to get used to is all the different noises of the building. You know when you have been in a place for a while and know all the sounds? By this I mean all the stair noises, all the cracking when you walk around, the sound of the heating going on, etc. Small things, really. Well, this takes some getting used to and I’m still in the process. I’m naturally quite jumpy and seem to live in a world of my own sometimes, so when I hear a different noise, one I haven’t heard before, I go and investigate or kind of make a mental note of it for next time. I like to know my surroundings quite well.

The place where we live now is an old building of 8 flats that was refurbished entirely, apart from the back of it. Therefore, the old staircase of the building is still there and people still use it. In our flat, we have a door with glass panels at the end of the corridor, so if people use the stairs at the back and turn the light on, the light makes our corridor a bit more illuminated. This, in the beginning, used to make me jump and I considered blocking that door with something, but now I’m kind of used to it and don’t even mind.

Also, the neighbours above us are a couple of lovely oldies and they like their tv… a LOT. And they like to watch it as loud as possible, so this is something I have to get used to. Having lived in a house before, we are not so used to the noise, but in just a week I can tell you that I don’t mind it anymore, which I find kind of strange. It seems like this place has so much to offer that a bit of a muffled tv sound can’t really become a big deal.

I started this blog in January and at that point we were not sure where we were going to move to yet. I named the blog housebythebeach and this was because living very near the sea has always been one of my wildest dreams. How funny is it that when we actually write about it and make our goals in life very specific (and graphic), they kind of make a way to actually happen? I didn’t have any idea that I’d be living by the sea, especially not this soon. And then life kind of makes its own little movements and makes things fall into place. It’s good to feel like the universe is moving in your favour sometimes and I guess I appreciate it because I know it doesn’t happen all the time.

It’s priceless (well, not quite) to get up in the morning and watch the sea. It’s even better to enjoy a Saturday morning watching how the sea changes… we had a high tide today and it was great to watch the people walking their dogs give space for the sea to come forward and cover the ground like a blanket. And then as the evening comes, the sky changes and looks amazing with all the yellowy shades going pink, then red, then blue, followed by a dark night. I absolutely love watching the nature at my doorstep and feel quite lucky right now. And by the way, I feel quite generous at the moment too, so if you fancy a visit to Lytham St Annes, just let me know. You’ll love it, I’m sure.

Hard to pinpoint

It’s funny how people just look at me with a massive question mark on their faces when they ask me where I’m from and I answer Brazil.  People say that my English is good (which makes me very proud, hehe), but obviously you can’t totally hide an accent, as much as you try.

This week, the break lights went on on my dashboard so I called the RAC to have a look, as Google told me that it was dangerous to drive like that as the breaks may fail! (nooo!). The guy from the RAC was really nice and found the problem, just an ABS sensor that needs replacing and it will cost a little, as everything does nowadays.

Then, in conversation whilst he was doing the paperwork, he asked me where I was from. I said I was from Brazil, and in that same instant, he dropped his pen, looked right into my eyes and asked: “And what the hell are you doing here?”. I gave him a smile and my usual answer to this usual question. This answer is: “I came to study and never left. I think I got used to the place and now I love it.” He kept on looking at me, as if I was going to carry on talking but, since I kept quiet (and smiling), he picked up his pen, and lowered his head but then looked up at me again and said: “That’s crazy!” before carrying on completing the form about my car’s fault.

This question bugs me. It’s nothing to do with people’s curiosity. It’s to do with my inability to answer it! I honestly cannot answer it satisfactorily so, over the years, I came to the answer above, which has now become my automatic reply to this question.

To be honest, I like the British weather. I know this may sound absolutely crazy, but I do like the cold and I love the fact that summer over here is not so humid and soooo hot you need an air con on all the time. I like the endless summer days, when it goes dark at 10 at night. I love the fact that people here cherish the sun so much, because it’s not always there. So there you go. Against all odds, the weather is one of my favourite things.

Then there is the organisation. People follow rules and I admire that, as it makes for a fairer society. If you need something done, you find information about it and you know what to do. People treat people fairly too, whether you are the president or the bin man.

I also like being near all the European countries and be able to travel. Yes, ok, I know that things in Brazil are going really well at the moment and maybe I’d be able to go places a lot even if I was living there, but there is some kind of magic about living near places you love. And I love some places here in Europe.

Then, of course, there is a man. I fell in love with a British guy, a lovely man who is so British it hurts, ha! And I suppose this makes me stay… and stay… and stay… to the point that I don’t even consider going back anymore.

So there you have it. I bet there will be more reasons for my being here popping into my head after I post this, but for now, this is why I live here. Oh, and the reason why I am where I am specifically (Lytham St Annes) is because it’s a BEACH … and I simply LOVE the beach.