What Do U.K.all It Again?

I spent the majority of this past summer in Ben's hometown of Shrewsbury, which is in a county called Shropshire, in a 'country' called England, in yet another country called the United Kingdom (phew). 

When I returned home to Canada in order to apply for a British Work Visa, friends and family enquired about the time I'd spent in England. While it's extremely flattering that people are curious about what I've been up to, I found that they often phrased the question in a funny way: I was often asked if I liked London or how I found life in London. 

Thing is, Shrewsbury (where I spent the majority of my time) is approximately three hours northwest of London. 

I don't mean to sound like I'm nit-picking or focusing on technicalities. I just think it's interesting that a lot of people tend to assume that the United Kingdom = England = London. While I think this is a pretty common misconception, I thought I would straighten a few things out.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (more commonly referred to as the UK) is the world's 22nd most populous country with over 60 million inhabitants. It is made up of four smaller 'countries' or nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has their own capital (London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively) but London is the capital of the whole of the UK. 

Unlike federal states like Canada or the United States, which are divided into provinces/states that have subordinate legislatures with their own areas of jurisdiction, the UK is a unitary state; that is, a state governed as one unit by the central government (in this case, Westminster Parliament). Although Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each maintain some degree of autonomous power through their own parliaments/assemblies, they are ultimately controlled by and under the power of the central government in London (a system which, as the recent referendum in Scotland demonstrated, many people are not happy with as they do not feel well-represented).

All that to say this: While London is without a doubt an incredible city steeped in culture and history, there is more to England (and a LOT more to the UK) than its capital city. Oh, and I've never lived there!

Just a taste of what the UK has to offer outside of London in...

England

Scotland

Wales

(but don't get me wrong, London is amazing and has tons to see and do!)

(There are no photos of Northern Ireland because I haven't been there yet, I hope to go at some point in the near future!)

Inside The Comfort Zone

One of the best things about traveling is the rush you feel when you step outside your comfort zone and visit a new place. Everything from the streets to the people who walk on them is totally unfamiliar. You don’t yet know what you’ll make of this new destination or what kinds of experiences await you there, and you cannot wait to find out.

That rush is a big part of what I love about traveling. However, that doesn't mean the fun is over once a place has been discovered. Returning to a city you've been to before might not give you a 'rush' but it's special in a totally different way. To me, there's something kind of cool about finding your surroundings familiar when you're on the other side of the world. Perhaps you know your way around without the help of a map, maybe you know the best place to get tasty street food or a particular street corner might evoke a fond memory. It's not as familiar as home but it's not completely foreign either.

I had the pleasure of re-acquainting myself with Edinburgh this past week, a place I've been extremely fond of since my first visit there four years ago. I was delighted to see that I remembered so much of it! I knew my way around (okay, it's not a big city, but still) and was able to point my family in the right direction as well. Many of the city's landmarks, and the stories behind them, came rushing back to me. I wasn't full of the anticipation I normally feel when I arrive in a brand new city; instead I felt reassured, at ease and comfortable. I generally try to step outside of my comfort zone as much as I can while traveling but sometimes it's nice to spend a little time inside of it too.

A few shots of Edinburgh from my first visit back in 2010

The Royal Mile (main street in the old part of town)

A second hand shop

The view from Arthur's Seat

Here Comes The Sun

While I think the West Coast (also known as the Wet Coast) of British Columbia is one of the greatest places in the world, its climate has never exactly been my cup of tea. Some quick stats:

- The annual average temperature in Vancouver is 11°C
- Vancouver is Canada's third most rainy city
- Vancouver gets 161 rainy days per year
- Vancouver receives 1153.1 mm of rain per year
- From November to February, on average more than 70% of the already short daytime is completely cloudy
(Source: Wikipedia)

Like I said, it's an amazing place but the weather is less than stellar. There is, however, a silver lining on the many clouds that cover Vancouver's grey skies: when the sun finally does make an appearance, people get actively excited about it. Sunglasses and flip-flops are fished out from the back of drawers and closets. Patios of restaurants and bars that have been empty and puddle-ridden for months are suddenly filled with umbrellas and cold beers. Hoards of pasty people rush to the beach in hopes of getting something ressembling a tan (although it's been so long since their skin saw sunlight that most will settle for a burn). Like a rich dessert that you only order on special occasions, every minute of a sunny day in Vancouver is to be savoured.

I've been away from home for over a year and a half now, and I've spent the majority of that time in hot countries where the sun coming out isn't something people get excited about; on the contrary, its constant presence makes many people groan. And although I love sunny weather, even I found myself complaining about it on a number of occasions. It became something I took for granted, and sometimes I would miss how waking up to a sunny day back home felt like being a kid on Christmas morning - it's literally that exciting.

Gloomy weather is something Vancouver and Glasgow seem to have in common; much like Vancouver, Glasgow gets its fair share of rain (167 rainy days per year, according to Wikipedia). As our waiter told us the other day, a sunny day in Glasgow is something special. Well, we were lucky enough to experience one such day during our time here, and it reminded me so much of being back home. The streets were filled with people. Patios were packed and cold drinks were flowing. There was just a buzz about the city. Being a rainy-city-kindred-spirit with these people, it was all I could do to stop myself from yelling, 'I know how you feel!'

While it was by no means unpleasant, I found Glasgow to be a rather un-extraordinary city. I liked it well enough but it just didn't impress me the way other European cities have. That being said, I'm grateful to Glasgow for letting the sun shine and reminding me a little of home.

One of the busy patios

Here comes the sun

Thanks, Glasgow