diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 10dbf6c..57f8c1e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 sudo: false
 language: python
 python:
-    - "3.5"
+    - "3.8"
 install:
     - pip install coveralls
 script: "./uranium test"
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 23dfec4..23b1ebd 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-aiographite
+ aiographite
 ===========
 
 .. image:: https://travis-ci.org/zillow/aiographite.svg?branch=master
diff --git a/aiographite/aiographite.py b/aiographite/aiographite.py
index d972246..f487c17 100644
--- a/aiographite/aiographite.py
+++ b/aiographite/aiographite.py
@@ -29,12 +29,14 @@ class AioGraphiteSendException(Exception):
 class AIOGraphite:
     """
     AIOGraphite is a Graphite client class, ultilizing asyncio,
-    designed to help Graphite users to send data into graphite easily.
+    designed to help Graphite users to send data into graphite easily.\
+
+    Removed loop parameter as it is removed from python 3.8 and above
     """
 
     def __init__(self, graphite_server,
                  graphite_port=DEFAULT_GRAPHITE_PLAINTEXT_PORT,
-                 protocol=PlaintextProtocol(), loop=None, timeout=None):
+                 protocol=PlaintextProtocol(), timeout=None):
         if not isinstance(protocol, (PlaintextProtocol, PickleProtocol)):
             raise AioGraphiteSendException("Unsupported Protocol!")
         self._graphite_server = graphite_server
@@ -43,7 +45,6 @@ def __init__(self, graphite_server,
         self._reader, self._writer = None, None
         self._timeout = timeout
         self.protocol = protocol
-        self.loop = loop or asyncio.get_event_loop()
 
     async def __aenter__(self):
         await self._connect()
@@ -99,13 +100,10 @@ async def _connect(self) -> None:
         try:
             self._reader, self._writer = await asyncio.open_connection(
                 self._graphite_server,
-                self._graphite_port,
-                loop=self.loop)
-        except Exception:
-            raise AioGraphiteSendException(
-                "Unable to connect to the provided server address %s:%s"
-                % self._graphite_server_address
-                )
+                self._graphite_port)
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise AioGraphiteSendException(f"Unable to connect to the provided server address "
+                                           f"{self._graphite_server_address} due to {e}")
 
     async def _disconnect(self) -> None:
         """
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
index ad6b6da..6562787 100644
--- a/environment.yml
+++ b/environment.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-name: py35
+name: py38
 dependencies:
-    - python=3.5.1=0
\ No newline at end of file
+    - python=3.8.16=0
\ No newline at end of file