Preparing for the Return Home

Coming up on my final week in London, I’ve been reflecting on the whole experience. It has been wonderful and fulfilling. I am so happy I made the decision to study abroad here. I still feel as if I have seen so much and yet barely scratched the surface. For me, home is wherever I happen to be. So for the last month and half, London has been home. Though my home in Minnesota also has some benefits as well, and I have been missing them dearly.

Things I miss about Minnesota:

• I miss my dog. If I could have my dog here in London, I would probably never leave.  
• I miss having my own room and bathroom. My roommate is a wonderful human being, but I still miss having my own space.
• I miss having my car and knowing the area, though I’ve learned my way around London pretty well.
• I miss my friends and being on the same time zone as them, so we can actually talk.
• I miss my family, as much as I like to believe I can do things without them, it is still nice knowing they have my back.
• I miss being lazy and not feeling guilty about it. There is so much to do in London and so little time that being lazy seems like a complete waste of a once in a lifetime trip.
• I miss all of these things the most. In a way, reminding myself what is at home is another way to emotionally prepare myself to leave London. The time has gone so fast, and I wonder if I will ever be back. Still, it will be nice to be home for a bit before I head back to Washington for school. I will give my dad a big hug. I will cuddle with my dog. I will hang out and laugh with friends I haven’t seen in ages. Transitioning back to Minnesota life might be a little tough at first, but eventually I will remember what was so important about home. It has always remained my base no matter where I was in the world, and I am grateful to always have somewhere and someone to come back to.   

While returning to a sense of normalcy might seem odd after having such an adventure, I remember Nelson Mandela’s quote: “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”