Homecoming: "I'm coming home again"
Out of the 40-some times I’ve flown, I’ve never been as sad as I was yesterday. I admit I was buzzed & very excited to come home to America, to Potomac, to JMU & to see Sam & friends. But I really wallowed on the plane, hoping to get it out of my system. I was returning to a house without a dog, something that JMU-ers missed the most. I didn’t expect to love England as much; I had thought that I would favor the rest of Europe and only like England. However, it has honestly become a 2nd home at this point. It’s crazy to think that I knew London as well as a local because, well, I was a local. I worked, had a set schedule and don’t forget that UK visa that made me feel super VIP. For 3 months, returning “home” meant looking for Heathrow or St. Pancras.
I’d like to think that I blended in as a London local as well as a loud American girl could. My style was definitely influenced and my “city girl” personality was in full force for the duration. I know the Tube like the back of my hand and I walk the streets like I know them… because now I do. I read the Evening Standard 5x a week, watched football & rugby, have grown quite picky about ciders and fish & chips. I can give exact change in pounds & pence without looking. I know to always order food take-away, wear a poppy in November, look for cars driving on the left side of the road and that boots & scarves are always a fashion necessity. I saw Cheers instead of Have a good day and agree that a thrice-weekly pub trip is completely appropriate.
I did have an absolutely wild time over here. Chaotic travel experiences in Barcelona, Athens, Santorini & Amsterdam notwithstanding. Amazing nights at Zoo, Fabric & Sports Cafe as well as Jamboree, Temple Bar, Bath, the Three Sisters & Leidesplein, etc. And plenty of days where just having a routine 9-6 day in one of the world’s coolest cities made me pinch myself. I have made lifelong friendships out of Ali, Alicia, Kylie & everyone else. I got to see amazing world wonders – from London’s tourism spots to La Sagrada Familia to Stonehenge and Oia. Most importantly, I got to see the world on my time while still living not just visiting London.
To sum up my semester abroad when people ask, saying “incredible” “life-changing,” etc sounds cheesy & incomplete. Luckily, I have this blog & about 4000 pictures to look at whenever I want to remember the coolest 3 months of my life. Cheers…
