One Year Since My Move
One Year (or 24 Years) Later
One year ago I was trying my best (and failing) to hold back tears. I had a huge lump in my throat, my stomach was in knots. And I was unsure. Unsure if I made the right choice. Unsure if I could make it. Unsure if I could travel for year by myself. One year ago I was boarding a plane that would change my life. And not for one second have I regretted that decision.This year was amazing. And even though there were bumps in the road, I've enjoyed every minute of it. One year ago today I was boarding a plane to London. The next day was spent in London, trying my hardest to stay awake after not sleeping at all on my flight. To be honest, I don't remember much of London. The day after that, the 16th, I took the Eurostar to Paris. And that day felt so surreal. First I was fumbling around with my giant suitcases that were way overstuffed. And trying to push them around and load them on the train by myself just summed up how I felt my adventure would be: a huge struggle with little to no help. I think I was in a daze for the train ride, but I remember the second that I came out of the tunnel, everything seemed so amazing to me. The cute little French houses, the country side. Just everything. Then I got off the train and immediately found my aunt, giving her a big hug, and breathing a sigh of relief. The rest of the day was spent going from place to place, visiting family. And with my jet leg and poor French, I'm sure I sounded like an idiot the entire day. But two weeks later I had an apartment. One month later I had internet (who knew it would take that long) and a year later, it's all over. But now looking back on my year, everything seems as surreal as that first day in France. I feel like I floated along, not fully understanding the experiences but embracing them at the same time.
But I think the most ironic July 14 is for me. It was the day that I boarded the plane one year ago. But it was also the day 24 years ago that I moved to the US. So clearly July 14 means much more to me than Bastille Day. It has changed my life multiple times. Who knows, maybe next year July 14 will also hold significance to me. I guess I'll just have to see where the wind takes me.
