Familiar Shores

My trip to London/Italy/Singapore has come to an end, and I am about to jump on a plane back to Sydney. I am feeling as I hoped I would feel: excited about going home, after what have been an incredible and fantastic 4 weeks. London was a lot of fun. Meeting everyone again, Laura and Baz's wedding in York, a couple of big nights out at Brewers, a flat date at the Sanderson's, a lunch in Regent's Park, a bad rendition of Bad Romance at a Karaoke Bar, too much pasta in a basement trattoria, a Cheeky Tuesday, a toasted sandwich at Starbucks, a jet lagged drink by a rooftop pool, rude waitresses at Paul's, a trip on the 607 (Express), a few day long sessions at the pub or just hanging in the flat of dreams (the place where I spent my last 3 and half years in London) have been just amazing. I haven't eaten and drunk so much in such a long time!

Going back has reinforced my love for London, for the city, but most of all the people that mean so much to us there. It all felt so comfortable, natural, like I did not dare to hope it would.

At the same time it's like being back closed a circle. It was always going to be the validation on whether the move to Sydney had been the right thing to do, and I would lie if I said knowing this did not make me nervous.  I knew I would love being back, as I did, but I also wondered whether part of me would have felt like there was more for me to do in London before moving on. Now that would have been troublesome.

I felt very happy in discovering that London feels to me like family: a place I love and I will go back to, but that I do not need to be around all the time.

As for the people, I just realised what I already knew: it doesn't matter where you are or how often you see each other, good friends will always be good friends. Good friends always meet and recognise each other.

The truth is that one is never really ready to leave London. One takes the plunge hoping it was indeed the right time. It is easy to get it wrong.

The other day I was thinking of when I came back to London after a year travelling, in 2007. I went back to no job and hardly any money and certainties. The same day I arrived I went to a BBQ at my friends Emma and Damon's.  Over a roasting leg of lamb Damon had provocatively asked me: 'so why are you back?'. My answer was "I haven't done with London yet". I was right: I had not.  Now I feel I have.

So here I am, waiting for my 20:10 to Sydney, looking forward to seeing Patata and feeling like now I am fully ready for my life Down Under.