Lucky to be With The Loughers

The day Jenny left to go back to the States, I boarded my National Express bus to Bristol, England. It was so strange to be by myself after 3 and a half weeks together. However, the strangeness didn’t last for long as I was greeted at the bus stop by my next round of company, Mandy and Huw. Mandy and I worked together in Sydney and when I told her I’d be in England, she and her now fiance’ (woohoo!) graciously allowed me to stay with them. Mandy and I didn’t know eachother that well so I hardly knew what to expect however, I have to tell you, it was one of the best 5 days I’ve had in a long time.

Upon arriving in Bristol, Mandy’s hostess-with-the-mostest skills kicked in. We went back to their flat, she made me lunch, and then the two of us set out to go to her wedding dress fitting. I was a bit nervous about this because I’ve never been to a wedding dress fitting and I had fears that her taste would be horribly off from mine and I’d have to sit there and try to pretend to like something. This of course was a huge moment for her, I couldn’t let any disapproval read on my face! After about 2 minutes my fears were calmed, she stepped out in her dress and was absolutely stunning. That Huw is one lucky guy, though I’m sure no one needs to tell him that. We spent the rest of the afternoon running errands and preparing for our camping/canoeing trip in Wales that was to begin bright and early the next morning. I’ll get to that, but first and foremost I need to do a big thank you to Mandy and Huw. So here it is…

Mandy and Huw,

I just wanted to take a moment to express how truly grateful I am for the two of you and your hospitality. You took me in, fed me, did my laundry, let me sleep in your room, introduced me to your friends, included me on an amazing weekend in Wales, and most importantly, spent your time with a crazy American. You will never know how much it meant to me to see you and spend time with you. I did some serious laughing with the two of you. Whether it was practicing how to criticize people in British slang (F@*King WANKAS!), seeing the look on Mandy’s face on that canoe, having the weirdest and most amazing car ride home from Wales with Huw, harassing the bridal store sales lady, being introduced to Bruno, or just sitting around your flat, my smile was endless. I thank you for that. I feel so privileged to have worked with you in Sydney, Mandy, even if it turned out to be a nightmare. You see there’s a good end to that story, I got you out of it. You two make such a beautiful couple, something to really aspire to. Your synchronicity with one another is imperfect in the most perfect way. I can only hope to be so lucky one day. I realized upon leaving England that it definitely has a place in my heart and I was sad to have to go. However, it wasn’t the bustling streets of London, the scenic beauty of Wales, or the hominess of Bristol that made it hard to leave. It was the people. It was you. I hope to see you again next spring, as after exerting my pushy American ways with the sales lady at the bridal store, I must see the finished product. Until next time, take care of yourselves and know that you’ve got a friend who thinks the world of you both.

All my love,

Alex

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