isn't airport the best place for a thoughtful reflection?

at least when you're going back home i supposed.

so here i am, 5 hours at heathrow, waiting for the flight that will bring me back home. after almost 9 months away from the boiling climate and exotic food. it was about time to go back again.

looking back to the beginning of the year, the excitement i felt a few weeks after i arrived, the shock (of having to feed myself from scratch), the struggle (of horrible flatmates) and the need to get away, to be in a family, in any family at all.

i thought i could never live in this country. the thought of living here for for 3 more years horrified me.

just take me to europe! to good bread, mouthwatering food, great transportation and not-so-complicated visa application! anywhere in europe would be fine as long as didn't need a different visa to cross the border.

yes, i felt trapped here and i just want to travel and never stop travelling.

which probably wouldn't please my dad as much, he thought my focus was on studying

well, but i studied hard too...

anyway, i started to build relationships with locals around here and spend a considerable amount of time volunteering. i did green action food co-op, the real junk food project and leeds bread co-op, which later landed me a weekend job selling bakery with one of my favourite bakers, sarah and her inventive bakes from noisette bakehouse. through all those people i have met, i could see so many opportunities await next year. so many experience to get excited about that would be almost impossible to find in thailand. and even though i would rather do something i like voluntarily (like baking and taking photos) than get a paid job in a posh thai restaurant, the amount of new thai street food businesses opening up in leeds this year wouldn't make such a bad work environment. and if i want to travel, i better try to find a job next year.

this year abroad gave me an overwhelming passion for food and taught me that everything is possible. and i was beginning to love what i thought i would never did.

like living here.

it's all about people and not places after all.