The Rain in Spain...

'The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain...'

 But it's the rain in England that I love.

Eliza Doolittle, England's Cockney flower 'gel' cared more about proper pronunciation than European weather despite the fact that she talked about it so much. And whether or not Hertford, Hereford & Hampshire ever have hurricanes, I don't know, but rain in Spain? Really? Does it actually rain there? And exactly where, might I ask, is the plain? There are mountains somewhere, in the north I think. So the plain is in the south? I must admit I know pretty much absolutely nothing about Spanish geography. Or weather, come to think of it. So the fact that the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain means very little to me.

But English weather is entirely different. For me, and most people I think, England equals rain, and it doesn't stay in just one place. It rains everywhere. The last time I was fortunate enough to live in England, which was more years ago than I care to remember, the rain made quite an impression on me, as in, I was constantly wet, and my hair, of course, was frizzier than ever. So to prepare for this particular British adventure, I made sure that in addition to mousse and maximum-hold hair spray, I had an umbrella and a raincoat, neither of which I ever use at home. What I failed to buy were Wellies. In America, most people don't have Wellies. We pop from the house to the car to the shop to the car and back home again, enduring wet feet, knowing they will soon be dry. For us, the rubber rainboots are quintessentially British, and even now, British fashion (Thank you Duchess of Cambridge.). So I didn't think to buy them. But now that I've been trapped inside for seven months, not because I mind the rain but because I mind cold, wet & muddy feet, I believe perhaps it's time to invest in a pair. Yes, it's time to get out, to put on the boots and embrace the weather, because I live in England and there's no getting around the rain. The only thing to do is accept it and love it. Why love it? Because it's English, of course. Without it, England would not be England. The rain is part of what makes this country the way it is. It has contributed to the culture of the land and the pastimes of the people. It has helped shape a unique nation that I, for whatever reason, seem to be permanently attached to. And so to those who have allowed me to live here, to experience England (again) in all it's waterful glory, I have one thing to say: How kind of you to let me come.