So far I've already rang and texted my friends and family in Fiji and popped a chocolate package in the post for them :) So, so, SO MANY photos to sort through (2000+) as well as Christmas and UK life getting back underway. The other day I met up with my school friends and it's relaxing that life's always the same with good friends, no matter where on earth you've been! Just to make sure they knew where I'd been, I wore a sulu (yes, in the SNOW!) when I went to meet them :)
There's definitely no place like home, but I didn't think going away and being on my own would give me so much to think about, so much more understanding of the world and so many friends who are now so far away. I never want to forget the memories and hope to bring together the island friendliness, the enthusiasm of my fellow volunteers and all the passion I had for life into my everyday life here. The world's a big place.... you just have to be there to see it!
What I've definitely learned from being right on the other side of the world is that the world is an absolutely incredible, beautiful and amazing place. The world is never a boring place, you just have to be in the right place to see it. In the morning in England when everyone's groggily waking up for the day to start, kids in Fiji and running around gathering friends together to go swimming for high tide and jumping into the ocean in the sunset. Fiji is a tiny country and I learnt so much from being there, the world is just an absolutely amazing, absolutely huge place. I don't think I could ever say life is boring again because I'll just imagine everything that's happening on the other side of the world.
From going away I've grown so much and really feel like a 'proper' adult now. It's strange being back and not being known as a teacher! But it's also relaxing not having to be so responsible anymore! I also definitely want to continue with volunteer work in England, I absolutely love it! I already volunteer with Guides and my local libraries in Berkshire, but doing the same thing abroad just makes me want to do more here and also take on new projects. I'm definitely planning on taking up regular volunteer work once I'm at Uni in London, hopefully working in a refugee center doing some conversational English work or maybe work with Shelter. I also can't wait to study Anthropology, I wrote an essay the other day on just a few of the many things I thought about whilst in Fiji.... voluntary essays for fun? Get me to Uni quick! So many questions to ask and so much I want to study and understand.
One day I'd love to go back to Fiji, who knows whether it'll be in 5 or 50 years but I've definitely made some truly awesome friends along the way and memories and experiences that no one can ever take from me. I was terrified I'd forget the life I had and all the things I did, but from being back this short time and just talking about it and remembering it all the time has made me think the experience really has become part of who I am. Fiji definitely wasn't a holiday, but it was an incredible experience that you had to work very hard to become part of, what you put in really gets given back to you. There were times I was stressed, times I was sad and also times were I was just incredibly happy, so content and couldn't imagine feeling the same anywhere else.
I'm happy to be back. Mostly because I know my new memories will never leave!
And I'll leave with a quote that I had in my mind when I left...
Journeys are measured in friends
Definitely true.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment