I adore England...fell in love with it over 20 years ago, moved there, became a British citizen and thought I'd live the rest of my life there. But the universe had other plans and it wasn't exactly 'my' decision to leave. However, it was the right thing to do, even though I am grieving the loss of my dreams of an idyllic life in the English countryside. I miss my old cottage, miss the quirky charms and traditions of England, miss so many little things. It was the only place where I ever felt I belonged. It was (is) "home" much more than here in Calgary, where I lived most of my life.

In fact, I had zero interest in England when I first went there to visit a friend who had moved there from Calgary. But ten minutes after she picked me up at Heathrow, we were on the M4 when suddenly, I wept and said, "Oh, my God. I'm home." I'll never forget that powerful, life-changing moment. So unexpected.

Years later, I did a DNA ancestry test and discovered that my father wasn't my father. Turned out that half of my DNA was nearly 50% English...

I miss England so much. I always will. I am in tears just thinking about it :(