There are times in life when a single moment shakes you, captures your full attention and forces you to be completely immersed within it. Today that happened for me. It was, in some kind of way, a homecoming. A completion.
Right, lets be real. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the blog. At the beginning of last year I had the intention of writing at least each month. I wasn’t expecting it to, but life got pretty full on over the first few months of the year and to be honest, I completely lost momentum as the months past by. Between moving house from one side of London to the other and my hectic work schedule, it has been a constant struggle to find time to catch my breath.
I have done more goodbyes in the last few months than I ever thought I would have to do. Each one is the same, yet completely different. The fact that you are saying goodbye remains the same, but the different reactions that follow still seem to catch me by surprise.
Okay, time for a moment of honesty. I used to despise Valentines day. Whenever it would role around, I would make sure I was either working or alternatively, had plans locked in with some of my closest girlfriends in hopes of avoiding the day at all costs. Why would I participate in a day that highlighted my singleness and excluded me because of it?
I’ve been staring at my computer screen for almost an hour. Trying to find the words to put on a blank page to sum up a year. I’ve looked through photos from the past year waiting for inspiration to strike…it did not. My thoughts brought me back to the beginning again. Back to where the blog began two years ago…with honesty and staying true to myself. It hasn’t failed me yet, so here we go.
I have currently visited more cities than I could have ever imagined. Different durations and different experiences. Each one transforming my thoughts and expanding my world view. Teaching me more about the world than a classroom ever could. Some places are simply a good experience, a good time, creating memories whilst exploring. Then there are the ones that have such an impact, I have to force myself to get on the plane…back to reality.
56.
56 hellos.
56 goodbyes.
56 i’ll see you soons.
56 is the number of farewells I have made over the past five years living in London. In a way, this has become a normal part of my life now. What starts as a simple hello, ends with a difficult goodbye. I would like to say they get easier, but sadly they don’t.
Everyone who loves to travel has a ‘travel list’. Some are scribbled down in notebooks, others a mental list. Mine seemed to be growing faster than I could check places off. After being in London for a year I realised just how much travel had become part of my life. The majority of that year I had done trips with friends and family, but the question arose after a while…why was I waiting around to go to these places I had only dreamed of, when I could just go myself?
When I set myself the resolution to travel to a different place every month this year, I didn’t quite realise what I was signing myself up for. I love travel, so it seemed like a healthy challenge. To encourage myself to step up the adventures a notch, just a little more than I had done in previous years. What I expected was one thing, what I received was another.
Hello everyone and welcome to the new year. Now, for the new people joining us, hello and a hearty welcome to you. For the originals…welcome back. By now you will be ever so familiar with how my emails begin…so settle in, make sure your cup of tea (or coffee…I won’t hold that against you) is freshly brewed and enjoy.
