I miss the UK

I miss the Peak District.


I miss Snowdonia.


I miss the Yorkshire Dales.


I miss Mersey Swing. I miss parties and after parties, I miss teaching lindy and balboa and occasionally blues, I miss the Black-E (was not expecting that) and feeling so very welcome from the first moment I set foot at a Mersey Swing event (although of course, I didn't understand a word anyone said at that point).


I miss walking along the waterfront and the docks in Liverpool.


I miss Berry & Rye.


I miss going for daytrips in Liam's black SEAT Leon (which has been sold, of course). Sometimes I get wistful and say "you know, I miss your car ...", but Liam knows it means I miss all the fun things we could do because he had that car; all the daytrips to beautiful places around the UK, all the late nights on our way home from a dance event or other, when he'd scoop me up from a couch somewhere where I'd inevitably fallen asleep, tuck me in under his coat in the front seat next to him, with snacks ready in the door pocket if I needed them.


I miss Tipple Step!


I miss Blues in the Hudd!


I miss singing on stage with David Broad, both planned and unexpectedly. :)


I miss Chester. I miss spring in Chester and autumn in Chester, long walks along the city walls, the Rows, Christmas shopping and Grosvenor park. I miss waking up in Chester while visiting Liam, back when we were long distance. Liam would leave for work quite early and I'd have the whole day to myself to explore the richness and weirdness that was the little corner of the UK where I had landed.


I miss a half of mild at the Brewery Tap.


I miss doing the big shop at Tesco with my love (I know, how weird am I?).


I miss balboa brunch at Edinburgh Lindy Exchange.


Hell, I miss all of Edinburgh Lindy Exchange.


I miss Edinburgh itself.


And I miss Spoonful. OMG, so much. I miss Thursday night when the venue would slowly fill up with faces I love and haven't seen in a long time. I miss the impeccable music from bands and DJ:s. I miss midnight snacks in the café at the Halls. I miss napping on the pile of mattresses in the corner of the dance floor. I miss the Voodoo Rooms. I miss waking up after my afternoon nap, excited to see if I made finals. I miss stepping out of the Halls in Leith in the early morning after a night full of dancing and friends and fika and feeling that I've never been happier and that the dawn has never been more beautiful.


I miss stepping away from dance events to go to dinner somewhere else with someone, in the midst of all the dance event mess proactively choosing to spend your time with a friend whose company you've missed.


I miss competing.


I miss cream tea. And I don't even like tea.


I miss being hosted for dance events (or just traveling) and getting so taken care of (spoiled, sometimes!). Anna & Ryan, Rafi, Rosie, Rachel, Greg & Jess, Vincent, Frida, Michael, Isabelle, Claire, Angus - thank you! And please all come and stay with us in Gothenburg!


I miss the people, the accents, the kindness, the parties, the laughter, the board game nights. I miss my friends.

And if you've cared enough to read this far and are from the UK, I probably miss you.

That's all I wanted to say today.

Four Tet | Lush