The Return (AKA The Voyage)

I was about to leave Paris for the first time since I moved here to return to the UK. It was touch and go whether I would make it home after the white, pretty stuff called snow had once again caused chaos and panic in Northern Europe. And I had to reflect how the epic coach trip I had ahead of me and the actual sailing over the sea was quite apt. In our modern age of fast and relatively easy international travel its easy to feel like the world is on our door step. Which it is. But there have been many moments in the last two and a half months that I have felt a million miles away from home and everyone I love. And my long coach journey home felt in comparison to my two hour train journey here like an epic voyage in the style of a fairytale novel. In reality it was simply an 8 hour coach journey with a brief boat trip. But still. I was coming home. And I was gonna see the sea! Well it was pitch black, bit like the tunnel under it...the decks were closed so I couldn't even smell the sea. And the epic voyage? A rather comfortable, if slightly broken, sleep through a gentle rocking motion. A few hours of shut eye later and I was in London town. 

Dodgy South London town. And I had never seen anything so beautiful. I should point out here that I have been to 'God's Landing' in South Africa...albeit in fog so thick we couldn't see the car door if we opened it...but still. That's probably the highest ranking place of beauty I have been to. Even if I didn't see it. But I have seen many more world wonders...and nothing beats the sight of dirty old London after months away. It was freezing. Both tube stations I passed through at 6am that first morning had only stairs. And I had the heaviest suitcase known to man. And it was perfect. Nothing was going to kill this buzz. 

I was home. I was happy. 

And it was perfect. Every last second. Except that I missed out on too many friends. Christmas is such a hard time to get diaries to match.

And now? Now I'm in Paris. It's still freezing. It's not home. But it's alright actually...just as long as it's not for too long. London, I'll be back.