The things I learned in England

I came here thinking I would return as a new person. I´ll have a British accent, use English sentence structure in Czech, create jolly chuckles about how British I´ve become, and change my whole personality. But the things that changed don´t have to be as big as that to matter.

Before I came to Leicester, I didn´t like porridge. It's a horrible, bland-tasting meal with a disgusting consistency. But then I noticed the giant aisle in Tesco, full of porridge oats, pre-cooked oatmeal, and porridge mixes, and I thought I could try to make it. Turns out it´s quite a heartwarming breakfast, and with the right toppings, it is a delightful start to the day.

I never knew how to take care of my hair. My TikTok page is always full of night-time routines with various products, but I´ve only ever used a shampoo. Since living in a dorm, I´ve been hanging out with my flatmate with curly hair. Her hair routine is almost a holy ritual that needs to be handled with care and precision. She taught me always to shampoo my hair twice so the product works properly. Now, I not only shampoo my hair twice, but thanks to her guidance, I also started cleansing my face in the morning.

When I was at home, I always bought pre-cooked lasagna. I thought it was a hard meal to make. But then I ate my friend´s homemade lasagna and discovered it´s ridiculously easy to make. The same happened with a pizza. My housemate's pizza recipe consists of four ingredients and takes about half an hour. I don´t think I will ever buy a frozen pizza again.

Many of my first experiences happened in England. I had my first Yorkshire pudding and a sandwich at Subway, went to a spinning class, tried Zumba dancing, and did my first interview. I also became a better writer and started creating short movies on CapCut from time to time.

These things don´t really scream British, do they? But every time I do any of them, I think of my time in Leicester, which is the reason I´m doing them now. They aren´t life-changing and noticeable, but they are there. So even though I won´t return with a British accent, deep down, I´ll be different than when I first landed at Heathrow Airport.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl