When it’s all Said and Done
I have been back home for about three days now and I have to say it has been both a blessing and a curse. I remember waking up the next day, disappointed after the realization that I wasn’t in London. There wasn’t a day that went by last week where we weren’t exploring or learning something new. Settling back into my flow of pace is hard after coming back from such an exciting trip.
On the other hand, it felt nice to be home. To see my friends, family and dogs. I had been anxious all week to tell them about everything I saw and to show them the pictures. Most of them would ask me how the food was amongst several other things. I had to admit that I am happy to be home partly because I missed our food! I remember the conversation we had on our way to the airport about how we all wanted McDonald’s or Mexican food or even soda. We all had our different cravings. It’s funny how when you leave what you know it makes you appreciate what you do have. For example, while I think the idea of a public transportation system is incredibly smart I also really missed the accessibility of having a car. It took some getting used to traveling by the metro and having to plan out how you were going to get there and time it accordingly. Here, we have the luxury of getting in our car, turning on google maps and we are set.
It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling being at home. I miss seeing the 15 people that became my temporary family every day. This experience would have not been the same had they not been there. I think traveling with people almost enforces a bond that usually takes time in different circumstances.
Looking back, I cannot emphasize how lucky I feel to be a part of this humbling experience. I had an opportunity that most people don’t get.
Out of everything we did this week I still stand by the Westminster Abbey- Oxford came in close second. I was captivated by how much thought was put into the architecture. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before and I truly think it captures what London as a city is.
Writing our thank you cards will be an emotional process. We met so many wonderful people along the way. All of them seemed genuinely excited to help us in our journey. When you are thrown into a city like that, you learn to appreciate gratitude from strangers a lot more and realize just how important it is.
This experience seemed to fly by. It was almost as if it happened in the blink of an eye. But now, I plan on going back and exploring the rest of Europe. London was only a taste of what Europe has to offer and I plan going back after I graduate to discover the rest. Hopefully when I do return, it will be just as legendary as this one was.
