I've recently returned from England where I was conducting business on behalf of the company I work for. Having lived in England for about 18 months, I find things there familiar and comforting. I know how to find my way around, and how to fit in with my surroundings. I am comfortable with the lingo and know what it means when you say, "Bob's your uncle".
Interestingly enough while I was there, I began to feel homesick for my new home. Granted, much of that has to do with my husband. I missed him like crazy... But I found myself craving the smells and sounds of home. I would've loved to have a pizza from the shop downstairs, and craved the flavor of dhal pourris.
I think what I have discovered is that it takes about 6 months for a new place to feel like home to me, and once it does, that's the place I want to be. I remember on my first visit to Mauritius, I couldn't wait to get back to England. I craved it because I understood how things worked there and everything there was easier for me. I could easily understand the language and could read and understand the signs and the labels on items in the grocery store... Things there were familiar.
Now that I have made Mauritius my home, I feel comfort in the fact that I can't understand the language. I can't read the signs and I have come to love looking at the pictures on the label to figure out what I'm buying. That has become comfortable and normal for me.
I guess having the chance to look back in this way has shown me how much you can change in such a short time. People are adaptable. Your environment is what you choose for it to be. For me, home is home no matter where it happens to be simply because I choose it to be this way. And after being away for a short time, I can say with confidence, there's no place like home. (Except maybe America) :-)
As a side note, there are several things I took advantage of in England:
1. Fresh Milk. I must have drank almost a gallon. I'm not even a milk person, but boy did it taste good.
2. Reliable, public transportation. I was able to take the train over the weekend to visit a friend in the south.
3. Pimm's on a hot summers day. Enough said.
4. Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Again, enough said.
5. The combination of flights that allowed me to catch up on all the movies I didn't know were made.
6. The chance to realize how much I love my island home.
3 comments:
Sounds like a good trip! I haven't been to England before, so I had to Google "Pimms" but it was easy to find! ;)
Is it a direct flight from Mauritius to London?
~Sherry :o)
Hi Sherry :-)
I did have a good trip. England is a great place to visit. There's a lot more to see than just London.
The only other time I have had Pimm's was at Wimbledon. It's delicious, but cutting up all the fruit is a little too much work for a beverage. :-)
You can get a direct flight from London to Mauritius, but I prefer to fly Emirates airline with a layover in Dubai. It breaks up the flight into two 6 hour flights and gives you a chance to stretch and have some non-airline food.
:-)
Hmmm GBK burgers are the best! I miss them along with Pimms on a summer's evening. I miss the variety of food in general that is available in the UK.
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