Sure, I'm going to miss people when we're travelling, but riding along the seafront yesterday made me realise there'll be places too. I'm certain I'll find better hotspots, but they definitely won't have the nostalgia of home. In no particular order...
Shoebury East Beach
It's increased in popularity since I first started going to Shoebury, so now it's usually got a few people milling about and making noise even in the evening; but three or four years ago, this was my happy place. I used to finish work, in a job I detested, go home to a messy house with all my friends squeezed into it, who would all be drinking and smoking, playing games and laughing. Sometimes this was just too much for me - I don't like people, remember? - so instead of hanging around, I'd grab my kite bag and catch the train to East Beach; I'd kite for half hour or so, swooping over the odd dog walker, grab some chips from the Chinese chip shop, then go and sit on the stairs as the tide came in, eating whilst the spray splashed on my feet. Sometimes I'd take one of those flammable logs and hot chocolate and stay for a bit longer, just camping out on the beach. It was serene, and peaceful, and I didn't have to answer to anyone. There was an abandoned boat about 600 yards out to sea, and the tide goes out for miles, quite literally, so as long as you caught it at the right time, you could squelch along the sand and walk out to the boats. I kept saying that I'd do this little boat up - I loved it to pieces - but after the summer, I think they had a boat clear out because one day it just wasn't there. I stopped going so much around that time, but mainly because I'd found another escape - I found Nick, and his bike, which leads us nicely onto the next place.
Southend Seafront
Ok, so I know this may seem the same as the previous one, but it's not. Two totally different places, sets of memories and people. My favourite way of seeing Southend is in passing - on the back of the bike with Nick, with the sun setting pink or the moon reflecting in the water, all the lights flashing, and the smell of doughnuts mixing with the smell of the sea. On late summer nights, you can hear all the rides and screaming from Adventure Island, and just the energy surrounding you is immense. It always makes me want to hold my hands out and close my eyes so I can feel the breeze and hear it all and just soak everything up (if you're going to read my blog, get used to cheesey descriptions, thanks). I'm lucky enough to have only visited Southend when the weather's been lovely; a scorching day with Powers and Jess, where she wanted to walk along this wave breaker thing that went right out, then decided it was too slippery so jumped down and ended up walking thigh deep in wet sand. She was the only one of us that didn't make it to the flag at the end. Then there's taking my little brother for a day out and both of us (he was 11 at the time) being disgusted at Adventure Island prices - it costs the same amount for entry into Thorpe Park! Admittedly on a 2-4-1 ticket, but you can always get one of those for Thorpe Park. We just scoffed doughnuts and messed around in the arcades and that was so much more fun. Then there's nights out at Chameleon and Mayhem, and the time me, Jody and Tobias left Nick with his friend in the club and walked along the seafront to the casino. We were dancing in the road and playing in the sand and left the casino with the same amount as when we started, and even though we were broke and sober, it was still amazing because we were just high on happiness (I told you to get used to it).
Thorpe Park
I only just realised that this is one of my favourite places whilst writing the last bit. I get the feeling this is going to be a long post.
I go to this place at least once every year! It's a must! If Alton Towers was closer and possible to do in one day, then I'm sure that would be included too and I'd have an annual Merlin pass. We're going to Alton Towers in September, I seriously can't wait, I'm ridiculously excited. I think I love this place because I've been here with so many people, so for me it's like a huge group memory; Siobhan and Jess where we had to go on the log flume more than necessary because we kept getting arms in the way of peoples faces in the picture; Jody, Aimee and Sam, where we couldn't save Aimee from falling head first into the soggy bottom of a rubber ring because we were laughing so much - it was a kids ride too, and I'd spent the whole five minutes of queuing telling everyone that it wasn't exciting, but it was cute; with Nick, Paul and Ange when Nick first passed his driving test - for some reason him and Paul decided it would be better to avoid the bridge and went around the Enfield way (Enfield is the birthplace of M25 traffic) so it took us ages, but it was so quiet when we got there that it didn't matter. Oh, and Paul hung his feet out of the window on the way home because he was hot - eww. Then with my Aunty Caroline, when the Saw ride first opened and I felt the need to get every picture because it was the first time I'd gone in years; with Nick's aunty and cousins, and we convinced his Aunt to go on Rush and she hated it so, so bad; with Jess and Powers when the Saw maze first opened and we absolutely shit our pants and I've been disappointed that it's not been open since. I really need to go here with my Mum and brother. Soon.
The O2 Arena
I've only been here four or five times ever, including when it was the Millennium Dome, but every time has been immense. I can't really remember it as the Dome (it was 14 years ago - I'm so old) but I do remember the Body that was in it; it was huge and I just recall being so fascinated with it. Then my first proper concert was here - Stereophonics with my Aunt - and they were brilliant. The supporting act were a bit angry, as all I could understand from their lyrics was a string of swearing, but Phonics were brilliant. Then there's John Mayer, twice. He was good the first time, but I'll be honest, not as great as I thought he would be. But he'd recently recovered from something to do with his throat so he probably wasn't feeling his usual self either. The second time was mind blowing! There was a bizarre collection of us too; Josh and his girlfriend who are into proper heavy, goth, screamo music, Ant who loves a bit of Taylor Swift, James and his Abba, me and my mainstream and indie rock, and then Nick with his rainbow of music taste, all in absolute awe of John Mayer with his mix of blues/rock. I think I welled up a bit when he played Gravity and Wildfire. I've climbed this beast twice too - 52 metres high, 365m in diameter and 12 steel masts... noticing something here? Yeah, turns out they didn't just plonk a big dome on the corner of the Thames, this shiz was planned. It's definitely worth doing, and I'd recommend it at night too - cities are so much prettier all lit up. Me and Jody did it at night, just randomly, straight after she'd had an interview so she was all pretty in a dress. I booked it up for me and Nick on Christmas Eve and they had a little snow machine going. Magical.
Nanna's House
Because it's full of memories of family; of quiet days having tea, of loud days with all the cousins crammed in, of parties and gatherings and family I don't know. It's somewhere with plenty of food, and it doesn't matter if I turn up uninvited because I needed a wee and was stuck in A12 traffic. It's where I'm always reminded I need to drink more water, and 'do you have sun cream on'. It's staying over with bacon sandwiches in the morning, and Chinese takeaways, or spag bol that my Nan seems to have an accident with every time. It's a meeting place before a Florida holiday. It's where I'm bombarded with photos of family or past holidays, and hiding in corners at parties with Dean and Haydn, discussing how much we hate people, particularly Londoners.
Maybe it's not so much the places I'm going to miss after all. Maybe it's all the people that made the places what they are.
