Reflections

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I've been back in Australia now for going on 21 months. That's just about as long as I was away, though it doesn't seem that way at all. In some ways I feel like I have been here forever, and in others it's as if I have only just left Scotland.

I miss Edinburgh every single day. I miss the beautiful city, and the wonderful life I made for myself there. I miss the weather and the constant sense of adventure I felt. But most of all I miss the amazing people I met during my travels. In situations like this I feel it is sometimes easier to be left than to leave. Everyone in Edi is going on with their lives as normal and most, I am sure, have almost forgotten I was once a part of their lives. And yet I have had to leave my life behind and re-adjust to living in a new environment yet again.

I was extremely hesitant to return to Brisbane, as I swore blindly when I left here in 2008 that I would never return. Unfortunately, life had other plans for me and, for a variety of reasons, I find that I'm stuck here for at least another 18 months. Sometimes the thought of that is almost more than I can bear.

When I lived in Edinburgh, I was occasionally homesick for Australia (or, more specifically, for my family and loved ones in Australia). As it stands now, I am homesick for Edinburgh every single day. I had such an amazing time and experienced so many wonderful new things during my time in Europe (I also added Italy and Norway to the list of countries I visited before I finally flew home). I was heartbroken to leave, but I had to choose between following my dream and following my heart. My heart won.

I definitely have the travel bug now, and though I realise that this extended stopover in Brisbane is ultimately temporary, I am well and truly ready for the next adventure.

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