I have had an amazing 2017 so far in India, and am now trying to re-establish myself temporarily in my country of birth, since becoming extremely attached to a nomadic, Asian lifestyle. I have been back in the UK for 3 weeks, and have not yet slept in the same place for more than three consecutive nights! I spent a fab few days at home in Kent, picking wild blackberries for homemade jam, and finally dusting off my piano and ukulele again to fill my parents' house with noise. I then went to Cornwall for 10 days, filled with carnivals, reggae gigs on the beach, surf lessons (success at last!), and some great country cider and bike rides. I've just moved to London, and unfortunately have before only described it as the city I have in my head that is so full of life, it's kind of lonely. Dubbed, 'The city that never sleeps', but one that is also potentially arrogant, aloof and independent.
I know, I know, how can I be so rude about my home city, don't worry though, I think I've changed my mind! Yes, sitting in my little flat in south London can feel a bit lonely sometimes, but so can these great 'sociable' adventures wandering the streets of Mumbai, or hiking the Himalayas in Nepal on occasion. I guess to live in London and create lasting friendships may be more difficult, but from my experience this past week, people do still say good morning when they go to the park for a run, the newsagent genuinely does want to know how your day has been going, a person really will hold up the bus you're running for, and if you're lost you certainly can stop someone and ask for directions. Maybe I am just noticing these things since my Asian sojourn, but it's making it feel a little more like the eastern homes I've become used to over the last 2 years. I had the idea for this blog post standing at a bus stop at 6am on this temperately warm August morning, on my way to start learning the skills of a Barista. I remember being 21 and fresh out of university, writing blog posts about how offended I was to be belittled as a cleaner by lofty office workers, and how upset that made me - why couldn't they understand that I was working three jobs just to fund my unpaid internship. I thought that was the only path to success, the one we're conditioned to believe is 'correct'. Go to university, get a good degree, work work work, and Bob's your uncle. Now though, I relish the opportunity to relax, enjoy my work, and be intrigued rather than aggrieved by the commuters going about their day. By the lycra-wearing yoga girls and puppy-taming walkers sauntering past for an elevenses coffee. Because I guess what I'm saying here is an insight into what I want to write next, about grabbing each day by the horns, and embracing each moment as it comes. Relish the knowledge you will get from understanding every individual experience, and don't compare your fortunes with anyone else. They are yours, and yours alone. So be friendly, say good morning to the mad joggers at the park at 6am, thank your bus driver for getting you to your destination safely, and smile, smile as much as you possibly can. For as one amazing traveller and volunteer told me when I was in Sri Lanka last year, language is incidental to communication, a smile though, is universal :).
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About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
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