I'm currently on a bus from Barcelona to Madrid, after spending four days on the beach, two and a half months in a new city in England, ten in Scotland and one year living overseas.
How the time has flown.
I look back on the girl who came over to the UK a year ago. She was scared, nervous, excited and frankly, didn't know if she could make it.
Silly girl.
The year has really flown by here. The girl who came to the UK wasn't a happy girl, but she was working on it. The person I am now, I can only describe myself as completely in love with my life. I don't know how it happened, but it was somewhere between letting go of homesickness, starting new things, being happy with my own self and falling in love.
I love my job in Bristol. I love my housemates. I love where I'm at and knowing how fast this past year went scares me, wondering what amazing things are to come in the next, and how on earth will I leave this all behind?
But that's a year away.
It's all a little cliche and very much Eat Pray Love Julia Roberts, but the only people I know fully understand are my fellow gap year friends, my friends who have moved countries and anyone who has left their home behind.
And home is so subjective to location.
Rockwood will always be my home. It will always, always be home. But sometimes we get stuck between homes. I have a home in Canada, but Edinburgh was my home for ten months. Bristol is my new home. Two weeks ago, as Jamie drove me to his new flat in Newcastle-under-lyme, I told him I didn't feel like a foreigner anymore. The UK feels like a home to me. It was a bit unnerving when I discovered it, sitting on the train to Stafford. I was looking at the countryside, and I wasn't thinking, "English countryside", I was just thinking,"countryside". That's the best I can explain it. It's a very strange feeling.
Emma is on her long way home over the next few months. She doesn't fly home to Australia until December, but she's traveling until then. I can't imagine how excited and strange she must feel. We exhausted the topic many a times, what happens when you go home? Everything will be different. Things still change while you live abroad. Life goes on back home. How do you relate to your friends? How do you relate to the people from your high school that have been living in their parent's basements the past two years, going to the same bars on weekends, working at the local grocery store? I'm in no way trying to be pretentious (Which sounds pretentious, just reading the words), I'm just wondering how us gap year kids go back home as foreigners in our own hometowns?
Ramblings of a twenty-something traveler never make a lot of sense. I'd know, I have to live with this brain!
Anyway, Spain.
Barcelona was great. We arrived just in time for Catalonian independence day during which some cool events and political demonstrations went on. We spent a good chunk of time on the beach, went on a city tour by bicycle (of which I am now convinced is the best way to see a city) saw some Gaudi works, went to a food market, ate tapas and paella, drank sangria and cava and enjoyed the Catalonian sunshine.
I'm excited to see the more Spanish side of this country in Madrid. Looking forward to tonight!
I often remind myself how lucky I am. Yesterday as I was being joyously pummeled by waves whilst swimming in the Mediterranean, I thought, what are my friends back home doing? They're in class right now. Good on them, but I'm perfectly content swimming in blue-green waters under a hot sun for now. I'll take where I'm at.
So all in all, I'm doing great. I have no problems with loving life, because I'm incredibly lucky to be living the one I'm living. Life is short, so enjoy it.
This year has been the smartest decision I've ever made.
Location:Madrid
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