Departure day. It felt so surreal leaving because I’ve felt like I only just arrived here. I woke up early so I could take my cousins to school and give them all a goodbye hug still. My aunt then took me to the airport, where we sat down for a cuppa still before she headed back.

After browsing a little around the airport shops, I took a seat by the gate and thought about how much I’ve done, the number of amazing people I’ve met and the different things I have experienced. I felt somewhat overwhelmed, emotional and quite sad to leave. I am convinced that at some point I will meet again with all the great friends I have made, and I will come back to Lyon without a doubt! In some ways, I feel like for the past 4 months I have been living a dream. I have had the time of my life, and one of the most incredible experiences ever, and I am so grateful and blessed for that.

I dozed off during the flight and arrived back in England before I knew it. Though very happy to be back with the family, being back in the UK for some reason somehow felt a little dull.

In Portuguese, we say “saudades”, a word that is almost impossible to translate into any other language. And though i’m only just back I’m already having lots of saudades of Lyon.

I’m excited for what comes next for the second semester of the year, and ready to learn and experience completely new and exciting things again.

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere that is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place”