The strangest thing about coming home is that it feels like I never left. I picked up everything in my life exactly where I left off before leaving for London. I started working just days after my return and I was acclimated to my room and house within a week. Getting back behind the wheel of my car was much easier than I expected after not driving for three months, but I still practiced before making any long journeys. The first thing I did after being greeted at the airport by my mom and best friend was to go meet my new nephew. My sister had had her baby right at the end of November, so I didn’t miss too much. One thing that I was not expecting was to be so thrown by the weather! I assumed since I was born and raised in Florida, that I would be just fine hopping back into the Floridian climate, however anyone who has spent any amount of time near me since I’ve been home can attest that I’ve done my fair share of complaining about the heat and humidity.
Seeing my family and friends again after so long was really amazing. The timing of my return right near the holidays was a very nice treat as well (although I had to do a lot of last-minute Christmas shopping). If I’m being honest, I missed home for a lot more reasons than just my friends and family. A list of some things I missed includes, but is not limited to: Chickfila, all aspects of Publix, having a job, singing in my car, TARGET, wearing shorts, my amazon echo (I love you Alexa), and the fact that my mom cooks dinner pretty often.
Although I’m happy to be home, I do miss London and especially my flatmates. The convenience of public transport was wonderful and living in an area where people are out and about 24/7 was a very unique experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m also missing Nando’s a lot, although I’ve been researching some copycat recipes. I keep in touch with my flatmates still and I hope to continue friendships with them even while I’m back home. We’ve discussed a reunion in the US coming soon, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed.