Home is where the heart is...

Home has a funny way of grasping our heart.
No matter where we go in the world, we'll always have a place where we feel safe, warm and loved.
Home has always been in a state of flux. As a child, my family and i moved around the country, however, once we settled in little old boat harbour, i thought the bay would always be my home. And it will be. I just didn't realise that you can create a home wherever your heart takes you.

Never in my wildest dreams did i think that london would be my home. A big scary city... no way.
But, as i clock out of work, at my new fulltime job and board the tube, i realise how accustomed i've become to it all. Life in the city. A city that isn't so big, or scary, nor daunting, but fun, exciting and thriving.

A city where you can wear what you want, say what you believe, do what you need and be whoever you desire.
The ultimate freedom
And I love it.
If there's one thing i want to take from this whole crazy experience is this;
this is my life, I only have one, so i better make the most of it. carpe diem

The sound the letters create as they roll off your tongue saying 'I live in London' is indescribable. My first room, first housemates, first address, first rent to pay and first dreaded grocery shoppings at tesco, and i hope there's many more firsts to come.
I love running into people I know down the street or on the tube and stopping to say hello (which happens more that I believe to be true)
I love awkward tube rides in peak hour where personal space no longer exists and you feel like your insides are going to squeeze out of your nose.
I love meeting other Australians and just nodding at them, because they just understand.
And I love mocking the pommy accent (which I'm getting considerably better at).

I describe my relationship with London a love-hate one. And i love it. Tomorrow, who know's, i might despise it, but that's the beauty of tomorrow... you never know what it holds, who you'll meet, what you'll do or what you'll see.

I get off at my tube stop, good old Leytonstone, and walk up our road, the familiarity giving me a sense of warmth.
I am home.

I am left in a bit of a predicament. To remain in this home, here in London for the following year to see out my visa and continue living this life... or return home, to start university and begin a whole new adventure.
This is where I believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason.
I will follow my heart, and when the time is right I know which home to return to.

It's such a calming reassurance knowing that wherever I venture in the world, London, Shanghai, Paris or the Bay, I can create a home. With my loved ones, an open mind and strong values, home will follow you wherever your heart takes you.

xxxA

P.s I think I'm officially a Londoner