Manea. I'm gonna miss this place.

I've walked around this village with a very heavy heart this last week or so. It's the first time I've ever felt like I'm home. At home with myself. I feel as though I belong somewhere. It's taken a long time to feel that and now I know that I'm never going to enjoy somewhere else as much .. or maybe I will, maybe this village has taught me to notice that which I've never noticed before.

This blip portrays fond memories for me .. the water pump feature on the way to the doctors (the doctor where you don't need an appointment, you just walk in at 2 allocated times each day), The Manea village sign - which was stolen a few months back and then found in a rubbish bag weeks later, to be repainted and re-displayed - was quite a scandal! The pretty garden which we pass on the way to the park, the couple put lots of ornaments and pretty things in their garden, it's a delightfully sunny space which we've spent many hours just looking at and talking about. The local shop which reopened a few months after we moved here, a lovely shop with 2 lovely ladies staffing the shop. The type of place you can go in, have a cup of tea and a cake and put the world to rights with all who walk into the shop - you can never just pop in for 5 minutes. If you don't have the money on you, it doesn't matter, you can pay next time. We left a sponsor form for Clara for her walks, when we went to collect the money, Clara asked very politely for an ice cream but I didn't have the money so the shop owner bought her one as a congratulations for all the walks she did. I'm going to miss those ladies. Our street ... I don't know, it's just a nice street, only 4 houses are the same, the rest are different all along the street! The park which we've visited at least once a week over the last 2 years, Clara has grown confidence on all the climbing apparatus .. in this park they hold the local football team practise and tournaments, this is also where they hold the annual Gala (which we're going to miss this year) Then last, the village hall where we've visited mostly every second Thursday for toddler group - which is where I've made most of my friends ..

So many fond memories, I've never built up such a bank of great memoties then I have in the 2 years that I've lived here. I shall always aspire to move back one day.

I'm trying to force myself to fall out of love with the village but the more I try, the more I just fall in love even more with the place.

I'm sad.