It’s been just over a week since I left London, and already I miss it. I miss the bite of the damp cold when I step outside in the morning (here in Florida, the dampness is heavy and hot) and the bustle of the busy streets. I miss the rush of the tube as it screams to a stop in front of me, and the gentle voice over the speakers announcing the next stop. I miss doing my homework at the cafe on the water just past the bridge between Kensington Gardens and Hyde park. I miss walking along Southbank, and visiting the book market under the bridge. I miss my amazing flatmates and our evening chats over dinner, talking about our days, planning for the weekend, laughing together at how lucky we are to have each other and London waiting just out the window.
I’m so grateful for the time I spent in London. I loved my classes, learned so much from my internship, and discovered so much about London, the world, and about myself this semester. Its difficult to find the words to describe what the experience has meant to me, but I can say without hesitation that it has changed me for the better.
And now, I get to see the effects of that change as the slightly new version of myself returns to my old life in Florida. Back to my home with my family (for the wonderful chaos of the holidays), back to Rollins for the second semester of my junior year ( I can’t believe how fast it’s going by), back to my usual habits and my old friends, but all with a new perspective, and a new appreciation for every detail of the life I put on pause for the past semester. I’m so beyond happy to see my friends again, to see my family, my house, Rollins…I even missed the Florida heat, though I’m sure my newfound appreciation for it won’t last long. 
I’m so happy to be home, but I feel now like I have two; the one that will always be waiting for me where my family and friends are, and then the one waiting in London.