Smitten with Britain: A Final Cheers

So now I'm writing an entry not in the BFI Library, not during my Philosophy class, not on my lofted bed, but on my sunny patio back home in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Being home is funny. I like falling asleep in my own bed to my sound machine, but (oddly) I miss waking up and rummaging through our dishes to find a clean pan for my eggs. I love always having toilet paper now, but I miss catching up with my roommates as we waited for one of our two bathrooms. I love having real grocery stores here, but I miss being harassed to use the self-checkout. I love being able to drive, but I miss walking. I love being able to run again, (without pedestrians or bridges!) but I miss doing workout tapes with my roommates. I love the comfort of my home, but I miss the uneasiness of new cities. Most importantly, I love being surrounded by the people I love the most, but I miss developing friendships with my fellow students in the program and officemates at Parliament.

I think I have figured out why I feel so conflicted: I fell in love with London. That city took me in and turned me into a confident and adventurous woman. For this, London will always have part of my heart. I think every person in our 130-person program changed for the better this semester, all developing in different ways. For me, it made me more open-minded. I will eat random things now. I'm cool with letting things develop without a plan. I think I'm becoming more and more the best (*most relaxed, more patient) version of the person God intended me to become.

And for this, Mom and Dad, I owe you the world. Thank you for your financial and emotional support. Thank you for trusting me so much that you'd ship me 4,000 miles away to go live on my own. Thank you for visiting me. Thank you for being so flexible in terms of my ability to text and call you. Thank you for your unceasing love.

And to you, thank you for reading this. Thanks for coming on this amazing journey with me. I hope you loved it as much as I did:) Knowing I had the support and interest of my family and friends helped me to never feel alone. It was because of you I kept writing; it was because of you I kept traveling. Most importantly, it was because of you I kept growing.

For now and forever, Cheers.