It's been forever since I've posted. And the big reason? I'm back! Back in the US. It is the end of the London experience that feels as though it only started a few months ago.
It's been a roller coaster of emotions since returning. Lots of people have said that the "vacation's over" now. I don't want to think that the fun stuff in life is over just because I'm not living abroad anymore. How depressing!
Not to say that leaving wasn't one of the toughest things I've ever done. Despite coming back to my "home" country, London was the city that felt most like home to me more than anywhere I've ever lived. Walking through those streets, no matter how rough of a day I'd had, always filled me with a sense of comfort and peace.
And while London was amazing, it's location in Europe was like a dream come true for a travel addict. The weekend trips to random cities and countries I would never have dreamed of visiting were so readily available. I could have lived there another 10 years and always found new places to visit.
However, the toughest thing about leaving was easily the people. We were so incredibly lucky to make such incredible friends in those two years. Through London Business School, I was able to play the fake student and "study" abroad in Cape Town with Dave, Nic and Divya or spend New Year's in Serbia drinking homemade rakia with Lazar's family in their formerly government-owned apartment. We met people from around the world and had experiences we never could have dreamed of. Luckily, many of these people have already and (hopefully!) will continue to pass through New York, so the goodbyes were temporary.
The group that was rough to say goodbye to was the friends I made at work. In the last month I was in London, when Dave had already headed back to New York to start his new job, I spent almost every waking moment with Emma, Jad, Gemma and Rich. With these four, during my two years, I woke up most days excited to go into the office because I got to hang out with my close friends. And every weekend in that last month, thanks to Emma's amazing planning, we embarked on a series of adventures filled with hilarity that perfectly capped off my time in England. On top of all the fun, they helped me pack, took my stuff off my hands and accompanied me to the airport, to the point where I'm not sure if I would have made it on the plane without them. We kept the laughs coming even as I went through security, keeping an emotional exit from the country surprisingly light-hearted. I know I've made friends for life with these guys, and while I'm sad that there's now so many miles between us, I know they'll always be in my life.
This first month and a half back has had me in a strange, pensive, introverted, reflective mood. And because of all that, I needed some time to write the last couple of posts from my last month abroad. While I always believe everything happens for a reason, that doesn't make the transition any easier. However, I'm starting to see why it will be great to be back now. My dad came over for dinner a couple weeks ago and my sister could visit with just a train ticket. I got to take photos at one of my best friend's baby's first birthday and meet Dave's grandfather at his 95th birthday And these are all things I get to enjoy without booking an eight hour flight. The people are what's going to help us readjust and filling our time with these activities will help us realize the benefits of being close to home.
So with that being said, let the blog posts resume. Even if we take a short hiatus from travel, I have no doubt that big adventures continue to lie ahead for us. Dave and I are ready to tackle this next chapter in our lives, and as long as we're in it together, we know we'll enjoy it with lots of friends, laughter and travel (and a healthy amount of Brooklyn-brewed beer).
It's been a roller coaster of emotions since returning. Lots of people have said that the "vacation's over" now. I don't want to think that the fun stuff in life is over just because I'm not living abroad anymore. How depressing!
Not to say that leaving wasn't one of the toughest things I've ever done. Despite coming back to my "home" country, London was the city that felt most like home to me more than anywhere I've ever lived. Walking through those streets, no matter how rough of a day I'd had, always filled me with a sense of comfort and peace.
And while London was amazing, it's location in Europe was like a dream come true for a travel addict. The weekend trips to random cities and countries I would never have dreamed of visiting were so readily available. I could have lived there another 10 years and always found new places to visit.
However, the toughest thing about leaving was easily the people. We were so incredibly lucky to make such incredible friends in those two years. Through London Business School, I was able to play the fake student and "study" abroad in Cape Town with Dave, Nic and Divya or spend New Year's in Serbia drinking homemade rakia with Lazar's family in their formerly government-owned apartment. We met people from around the world and had experiences we never could have dreamed of. Luckily, many of these people have already and (hopefully!) will continue to pass through New York, so the goodbyes were temporary.
The group that was rough to say goodbye to was the friends I made at work. In the last month I was in London, when Dave had already headed back to New York to start his new job, I spent almost every waking moment with Emma, Jad, Gemma and Rich. With these four, during my two years, I woke up most days excited to go into the office because I got to hang out with my close friends. And every weekend in that last month, thanks to Emma's amazing planning, we embarked on a series of adventures filled with hilarity that perfectly capped off my time in England. On top of all the fun, they helped me pack, took my stuff off my hands and accompanied me to the airport, to the point where I'm not sure if I would have made it on the plane without them. We kept the laughs coming even as I went through security, keeping an emotional exit from the country surprisingly light-hearted. I know I've made friends for life with these guys, and while I'm sad that there's now so many miles between us, I know they'll always be in my life.
This first month and a half back has had me in a strange, pensive, introverted, reflective mood. And because of all that, I needed some time to write the last couple of posts from my last month abroad. While I always believe everything happens for a reason, that doesn't make the transition any easier. However, I'm starting to see why it will be great to be back now. My dad came over for dinner a couple weeks ago and my sister could visit with just a train ticket. I got to take photos at one of my best friend's baby's first birthday and meet Dave's grandfather at his 95th birthday And these are all things I get to enjoy without booking an eight hour flight. The people are what's going to help us readjust and filling our time with these activities will help us realize the benefits of being close to home.
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