Re-activating this blog...so now I have three. Considering my lack of interaction on a blog, it's probably two too many. BUT, the other two are about my travels so they can stay where they are. This one has always been about the inner workings of my headspace. I was going to say 'brain' but why exaggerate?
So I've been back in England for two weeks now and it's still very strange to me. What has amused me, is the little day to day things I've forgotten. Self service in the supermarkets, now that really confused me. It's crazy how quickly I adapted into South African living.
Do I wish I was back there? Yes and no. It was awesome. But...it didn't have ALL my people. I felt it was more 'real' that India was - cooking etc, in an apartment made all the difference. So yes, it felt like I was living there, not visiting. And truly, I treated it as such. Yes, I did a few touristy stuff but not to the extent that I did in India. I made it mirror my life here pretty much (bar the people).
South Africa, for all her issues, is by far the friendliest of nations. This I have struggled with. I got used to the shop assistants having a fat chat with me every day. It doesn't happen here. Not to that extent... clearly I'm generalising.
I've also come back to a few mega changes... how do I feel? Strangely calm. Which is bizarre in itself. But not unwelcome.
I said when I came back from India, that I felt I had changed - because if you go away for that amount of time, and are alone for that amount of time, you really should have a better understanding of yourself. I feel even more strongly about this after returning from SA. I think I have 'me' now. This is who I am, what I feel like, what I want from life, It's quite a heady feeling. Maybe I'm not 'there' yet, but I'm close.
So I've been back in England for two weeks now and it's still very strange to me. What has amused me, is the little day to day things I've forgotten. Self service in the supermarkets, now that really confused me. It's crazy how quickly I adapted into South African living.
Do I wish I was back there? Yes and no. It was awesome. But...it didn't have ALL my people. I felt it was more 'real' that India was - cooking etc, in an apartment made all the difference. So yes, it felt like I was living there, not visiting. And truly, I treated it as such. Yes, I did a few touristy stuff but not to the extent that I did in India. I made it mirror my life here pretty much (bar the people).
South Africa, for all her issues, is by far the friendliest of nations. This I have struggled with. I got used to the shop assistants having a fat chat with me every day. It doesn't happen here. Not to that extent... clearly I'm generalising.
I've also come back to a few mega changes... how do I feel? Strangely calm. Which is bizarre in itself. But not unwelcome.
I said when I came back from India, that I felt I had changed - because if you go away for that amount of time, and are alone for that amount of time, you really should have a better understanding of yourself. I feel even more strongly about this after returning from SA. I think I have 'me' now. This is who I am, what I feel like, what I want from life, It's quite a heady feeling. Maybe I'm not 'there' yet, but I'm close.
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