Bosham Hoe

Sunshine beams through scattering clouds and the slight breeze creates a melody of rustling leaves in the background.

I’ve heard so many people say recently that England is grey, cold, flat and boring, and whilst we can’t deny the slight nip in the air that kicks in around autumn time, the truth is England is far from those things.

England has a little of everything, but of the thousands of people that fulfil lifelong dreams by coming to England every year, so much of it goes unseen. People forget that there’s an England outside of London. An England that stretches with fields of greens and yellows for as far as the eye can see, an England that oozes history from every cobblestone, an England that feels desolate and raw, and an England that has charming little hamlets like Bosham, which are filled with dog walkers, independent cafes and pubs that overlook the boats that sail across the hoe.

I spent so much of my time trying to escape England and see the rest of the world, that I never really took the time to appreciate my surroundings. And it’s only just dawned on me how strange it is that I know so much more about Thailand, than I do about my home country. I’m still set on travelling the world, but I’ve realised that I’d never pass through a place in another country and think to myself “I can’t wait to move on from here” without giving it a chance, so why was I inclined to feel this way about England?

I guess sometimes we get so caught up in looking for our hearts desire, that we forget that it can be achieved anywhere, and sometimes that includes our own back gardens.