Farewell

For a year before coming here I wondered about what it would be like to study in London for a whole semester.  Now I'm wondering just as much what it will be like to finally go home.  I miss my friends, I miss my family, I miss having a normal routine, and a comfortable bed.  I'm just exhausted, mentally, physically, and emotionally and I'm very ready to finally come home and get a big hug from everyone.  But there is a part of me that wishes I could stay here....or at least that I could somehow uproot the state of Missouri and make it a suburb of London.  I was hoping that I would change as a person, and I feel like I have.  I feel like I've grown up a lot and learned SO MUCH about myself.  I have also fully realized the existance of a BIG, REAL, EXCITING world out there that can actually be experienced and touched.  And I have experienced a good part of it.... and my feet have landed in 6 different countries, and I've run my hand over some of the most important pieces of world history.  I've done, seen, and learned so much about the world and myself but apart from that I think the most significant part of my experience over here is that I feel like I have truly LIVED over the past 4 months.  I've had so much fun, gone outside my comfort zone, made friends with people I never would have considered before, released my inhabitions and thrown everything to the wind.  Every morning I have woken up EXCITED for what was to come my way that day, week, or month, and every day I did the best I could to do and see and experience everything that was in my power.  Never before have I been able to say that and who knows if I'll ever be able to say that again.  I have loved every minute I have been here and will cherish the hilarious memories, THOUSANDS of pictures (honestly....thousands), and friendships for the rest of my life.  London, I will miss you and I will miss the person I have been here...but hopefully I will be able to take a piece of her with me back to Missouri. 

My suitcases are all packed.  My room is clean (relatively...).  My taxi is coming in an hour.  We'll go to Paddington Station and then take the Heathrow express into the airport.  Everything is taken care of.  Now all I have to do is say goodbye......