Sortie

It feels amazing to be back from our Euro Trip! We had a wonderful time in all the European countries, with all the different types of people and their languages and customs, and the scenic views and landmarks, and the drama experienced on the trip; both the highs and lows, but there is something different about home. The feeling I got when I stepped onto the crowded (new) Metropolitan Line train; metro newspaper (filled with articles people like to call news) under my arm, the announcer speaking in a language I could understand, the familiar roads in my area, the weather, and then home to the familiar musty smell of my bedroom, sitting down in my chair, surrounded by all my things, my wallpaper. The feeling I got when my mum had seen me returned safe and sound, listening to all the stories I had to tell. The cats, the gerbil and the rabbits. Unpacking my luggage and returning my possessions to where they belonged. The pile of post waiting to be opened. The pile of Medicine books waiting to be read. The friends waiting to be socialised with. The blog waiting to be updated.


There is no place like home.


P.S. I've returned to a house devoid of siblings; one has gone to Gaza, whilst the rest are visiting Grandma, which leaves just me and my parents; something that hasn't happened for 20 years! And now I'm off to play Fifa and Halo :)


(Btw, this new special person I'm supposed to be meeting at the end of next year, do they know me already? I'm confused.)

Summer So Far

Back from Norway, and currently lying in a hotel room in Budapest (Hungary) waiting for everyone to wake up so we can get on with the day's activities. So far (4 days in), we have had an absolute blast of a time, and even though we spent 23 hours straight on trains through Austria, Germany and Holland (including waiting outside a dodgy station in Venlow-Holland in the early hours of the morning), we haven't had a lack of entertainment. Bruges was stunningly beautiful, albeit a little on the touristy side, but definitely somewhere I'd like to go back to, even if it was just for their chocolate shops.

First impressions of Budapest weren't good; as soon as we left the station, it felt like we were still in a Soviet state; it just had that weird feel to it. But when we got more into the city, things started to look up, and so did we as we noticed the citadel and castle in the hills towering over us.

I plan to write about each place I visit and give it a rating out of ten, but that's as soon as all the places have been visited, inshaallah. If I don't misplace my passport. Yes it happened again, but this time it was in my bag and not in Seville airport!