Reflection on leaving home...

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So, I'm on the 18 hour bus journey, listening to my ipod, and the others appear to be sleeping... good time to do some reflection of the past week.

For those reading this who will be off to Spain soon, I thought I'd write a little about how it felt leading up to departure day, maybe it will be useful, For anyone else... probably not too interesting...

When I found out the date for leaving to Paraguay, five weeks or so ago, it seemed ages away. I was busy planning flights and visas, getting to know a bit about the other people going and all that stuff. I didn't really stop to think I was leaving everything for a year. This carried on until about four days before I was going, and then it hit me... I suddenly felt like I'd been constantly drinking Red Bull... like I was going to have a heart attack all the time. Not from nerves though, I can't really explain what from. But it was always there. There was the lack of sleep, the trying to see everyone before leaving, making sure I had everything I needed, doing the actual packing which I kept saying I'd do tomorrow... There was a it of guilt, like I was being selfish for leaving everyone and putting my family through the worry, and of course, for missing my brother's wedding. Sadness, from saying goodbye, which I have never been so good at. Not to mention a certain person, who I very much dout will be reading this, making it very, very difficult to go,

So you may think it was very negative... and I suppose it was. I don't really get excited about travelling in general anymore, more so I am excited by what I find when I arrive. But when I got on the plane (finally, after it being delayed and nearly causing me to miss my connection at Paris - oh the stress!!) and was in the air, and listening to my ipod, to Muse's cover of 'Feeling Good', I relaxed, and breathed, and sighed, and knew that everything was going to be fine. Better than fine. Great. Because I knew I had all these people back home, who I might not be able to see, hug, speak to in person, they are all still there if I need them, like I am for them, and that they will still be there when I get back. A year is nothing to close friends.

Hopefully those of you going to Spain won't be as stressed as I felt. You can pop home if you want, shouldn't have to pack quite as much, stuff like that... but really, really take advantage of your last few weeks in the UK.

As for now, I am on my bus, going to my home city for the next year, not really knowing to expect, and this lyric springs to mind... 'It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me... And I'm feeling good' 😊

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Comments

[paul brown]

davids dad
Keep this going,really good-I wont get much out of David. Cheers paul