Last Night -- a) at 78, Selbrooke Cresecent b) in Bristol c) in the UK

 Lots of lasts here, so I am going to go one by one. I have nothing but good things to say about the place. My standard of living was immeasurably better than it was in my previous house. This was the first home that I lived in in Bristol. My first house in Bristol was an Airbnb and in my next house the sitting room had been converted into a bedroom. This house is beautifully done up, and I had a warm and gentle (occasional) housemate who spends most of the year abroad. I will miss him and this house. One of the things I will miss the most is sitting in the super-comfy armchair in the sitting room on cold evenings with a cup of tea. And living here has pushed me to be less stingy when it comes to spending on my housing situation. My thirfty disposition meant that I took to living like a student a little too well and continued living like a student when I could afford not to. One's house is meant to be a refuge from the world, and any money spent on making it more refuge-like is money well spent. 

My feelings about Bristol are complicated, as the past few blog posts show. I don't have much to say other than to note that Bristol is the longest that I have lived anywhere since I went off to engineering college 21 years ago. It just occured to me that maybe I get bored of places after a while, but that is a conversation for another day. 

I never thought I would leave the UK for the US. Its a bit of cliche that people who like living in the US, don't like the UK, and vice versa. What I like about the UK is idea of personal space. Coming from a country like India where there is no concept of personal space and it is normal for people to ask if you are married within minutes of meeting you, it was a refreshing change. But, the keen awareness of personal space, and the abject fear of violating it can also come in the way of intimacy. I have struggled to make friends with British people, and some other non-British friends have also reported the same experience. Going back to things I like about Britain--dark humour, the ability to laugh at themselves. I remember that a few years ago the public was asked for suggestions for the name of a british Arctic explorer ship or some such. The Americans would have come up with a name like 'Pride of the Nation'. Britons voted for "Boaty Mcboatface".