Brighton Way

So it is time to finally say goodbye. I've been back in the states for 18 days now. I feel like I've just been hiding in my parent's house trying to trick myself into feeling like I am still abroad and not dealing with the fact that I am back in St. Louis. Maybe writing this will help.

As I was driving around my neighborhood (major down side of being in the U.S. is that I have to drive. I HATE driving), and I started noticing that all the streets and neighborhoods are named after places in the UK. There is a group of streets near my house called Westminster and an apartment building called Chichester. It's laughable. But then I saw a street sign that said "Brighton Way" and I almost drove into oncoming traffic because I was so distracted. It really warmed my heart that there was something in St. Louis named after my favourite (yes I spelled it the Brit way) place in the world right in my own home town.

Even though it is sentimental and a bit silly, that sign represents to me the intersection of my time abroad and being home. That even though I have left Brighton physically, living in the UK has changed me in a lot of ways, including:

1) I enjoy meeting and hanging out with new people a lot more. I used to just hang out with people I already know, but I've realized I miss out on so much if I ignore other people just because I don't know them yet.

2) I'm much better at finding the good parts of any place. I used to think St. Louis was boring, but now I've discovered there is a lot of great art exhibitions, restaurants, bakeries, custard places (ok, most of it has to do with food) here and I'm better able to seek out and enjoy the good in a place.

3) I'm better able to deal with change. Hopefully this will help me as the big "G" (the-event which-must-not-be-named, Graduation for all you thick people) approaches.

Alright, enough gooshy emotions. Time to say goodbye. For all the people I met at Sussex, there is an open invitation for you to come visit me in St. Louis or wherever I happen to be, and hopefully our paths will cross again because I loved getting to know you. And thanks to everyone who took time to read my blog.

Last comment/expression of my feelings: I'm just so excited to see what happens next.