Where has the time gone?

I finished my exams on June 8th, and I have been enjoying the rest of my time in England. It has been a very busy week for me. I spent Monday in the beautiful city of York. There are so many beautiful buildings and gardens. I really enjoyed it. York has 2.5 miles of walls built surrounding the city that were built by Romans to protect from attacks. They are still intact, and you can walk along them and see the city. I spent the day visiting various historic areas, and then finished by walking around the city walls. It was a really nice day.

From Tuesday-Thursday, I was in Dublin with friends. We had an absolutely amazing time! The hostel we stayed in offered a free tour to Glendalough and Kilkenny. The mountains were beautiful. Ireland is just a beautiful place in general. I absolutely loved the country when I went to visit in April, and I didn't hesitate to go again when the opportunity presented itself. It was really great to be able to have this trip before everyone leaves; it was definitely a time to remember.

We landed back in Manchester airport at midnight and stayed there for four hours until the next train. I slept maybe three hours before waking up to see the Olympic Torch on Friday morning. We stood in the pouring rain and wind for about two hours. When the torch actually arrived, we were graced with about a fifteen second glimpse of it. Although it was only for a short amount of time, I'm glad I was able to witness it.

I truly can't believe that I have less than a week left in England. This time next week I will be back in the States. I really don't know how to feel about this fact. Part of me is incredibly excited to see my family and friends again, I look forward to sleeping in my comfortable bed and seeing my dogs. I can't wait to be able to talk to my family and friends without having to wait hours to accommodate the time difference. Then the other half of me wants to never leave England. I am so happy here. It's a ridiculous, over the moon type of happy. I miss my family and friends, but instead of wishing I could go home to see them, I find myself wishing I could just bring them all over here. I guess I'm feeling really confused and torn. I yearn for the comforts of home but don't want to leave this place where I'm truly happy.

In the beginning of June, I made a trip to London. I had an incredible time with my friend Elise; I enjoyed it so much more than I did in January. I had this incredibly surreal moment as I was getting ready to head back to Lancaster. Before I left the hostel, I decided to take a walk in Hyde Park. I came across the Albert Memorial, and it stopped me in my tracks. It was exactly how I had remembered it, but I felt like something was off. I had this really strange feeling standing before it. I then realized why I was feeling so odd. Though the memorial was the same, I was the one who had changed. The Albert Memorial was the first thing to 'wow' me about England. When I arrived in January, I spent the weekend in London. The morning I arrived, a few of the Eurolearn students and I walked to Hyde Park. One of the things we saw was the Albert Memorial, and I remember feeling so in awe of its beauty. It was a déjà vu sort of moment.  As I stood there nearly five months later, I couldn't help but marvel at how far I had come since January. I have had so many wonderful experiences, and these experiences have had such a positive impact on me. Studying abroad has been the best decision I have ever made.

I really hope this is not the last I see of you, Europe.