Last week when the weather was chilly and crisp with the suggestion of winter, I took a flight from New York home to England. I walked through midtown to the station with a head full of thoughts and retrospect and although I was only going home for a visit, the departure made me think about the past and the present.
In 2007 I spent a year traveling round the world. It was defining and wildly exciting, and although I'd like to say the adventure left me enriched and worldly, sadly at the tender age of 23 the experience was lost on me. Finding the local bar and having a thoroughly good time was the closest to culture I got. I stayed out until 6am and watched the sunrise across tropical oceans and lived a blissful existence with only one pair of flip flops in my bag.
Now, as 2011 appears on the horizon I don't know how to feel about letting go of 2010. This year I have lost more than I thought possible and life has changed more than I could have imagined. I lost my brother and afterwards witnessed in my mother, sister and father the incredible determination we posses as human beings to survive. I was overwhelmed by the support from people I know well and people I hardly know at all. I guess I can say my faith in humanity got stronger this year.
Not long after I chose to move to New York with my boyfriend. Now there's a life changing experience. He arrived with a vintage suitcase and I with a case of thirty shoes which he regularly carried up five story walk ups whilst we couch hopped. Looking for somewhere permanent, we encountered showers in cupboards and baths in kitchens before finding an amazing little apartment. Whilst our kitchen inventory amounts to only two pans and a penknife, it feels like home and that's what counts.
What have I learned from this year? Apart from the obvious and a few other bits and pieces, I can say I know one thing. If in doubt, just do it. Life is too short!
{Top, shoes & vintage fur: Beacon's Closet, skirt: Topshop, bag: Mulberry, watch: Citizen}
