A Love Letter to England

I was barely out of teenage hood when I first set foot in England. Despite my family and friends' teary departure at the airport (yes you know yourselves), I was pretty excited. Who wouldn't be, I was embarking on a whole new journey, on a different continent, ready to re invent myself. Of course before we left we were all told a million things about what to expect and all the culture shock we would come across but nothing really prepares you for a brand new place. Right off the bat as I left the airport to catch a train to Leicester I was met by something I had only seen on TV. There was this young couple sitting opposite me just going at it, I am talking heavy kissing and petting here. Obviously right now if I saw something like that I wouldn't even bat an eyelash. But back then I was fresh from home, from a very conservative nation that didn't encourage such public displays of affection. I think it was at that moment that I truly realised that I was no longer at home. Fast forward to finally arriving at the Leicester Train Station. We were still pretty excited then so when my friends and I got off the train we immediately started taking pictures by the Leicester sign. Very juvenile I know, but we were just kids. After all the excitement wore off reality finally kicked in, we had no idea how to get from the train station to the university. It was only by the help of a kind woman who clearly saw the confusion written all over faces that we managed to reach the residence halls. I remember the next morning waking up in my room not knowing at all where I was for at least two minutes, tough times. But Leicester was warm and welcoming with a large population of international students.

Over the course of the three years I have experienced growth, loss, elation, home sickness and depression. From my first trip to London, which had always been in my bucket list of places to visit, to losing some of my friends back home because of the distance. From seeing Leicester City win the Premier League, to spending the festive season without my family for the first time. I have learnt to be independent, to have more confidence in my abilities, to be strong even when I am weak and that even though change is inevitable, sometimes it can be for the best. And of course not forgetting all the other academic stuff I got from my degree, my sole purpose for being here. Sometimes I look back and wonder where I could have been if I had stayed back home instead. I am a completely different person than I was when I first arrived, would I have stayed the same? But then I remember that everything does happen for a reason and even though I might not still be the same person I was, I am stronger and a better version of myself. So as I finally leave the UK, I leave as a more cultured, more educated, well rounded, adaptable, lighter skinned 😂, thicker skinned human being with an Economics degree. UK you have been amazing, I will always treasure my years with you 😘