Dear Chicago,
I hope you are not still mad at me for leaving you for 17 months while I pursued my education abroad. No matter where the road of life takes me, I will always identify myself as a Chicagoan. You will always be the first place that I called home. No other city can take that away from you. You house so many of my loved ones. There is a certain warmth and friendliness that I feel when I see the Sears Tower or when I look at Lake Michigan. Whenever I speak to people from out of town, they express nothing but the utmost amount of love for you. i realize that I am lucky to call you home.
Having said all of that, I do plan on returning to Europe in autumn. You will still have that special place in my heart for all time. Everyone that meets me will know that I am from you because I will speak highly of your amazing self. I’ll miss you and the wonderful spirit of your residents. I know I will crave your spectacular skyline, your beautiful beaches, and your incredible food. I have so many happy memories scattered about you.
So you’re probably thinking, if I am all these incredible things, why do you plan on leaving me again? I believe that there is certain growth that takes place only when you are living in a foreign country. I was only in London for 17 months. There is still so much that I haven’t seen, so much growth that still needs to take place. It is so easy here to get stuck in a routine of familiarity and comfort and not ever really challenging myself. In London, I am constantly challenged. I am challenged to make a home for myself and to be on my own. I am challenged to branch out and explore. I am challenged to be social and try to make new friends, something I have always struggled with. There is a warmth that I feel about London as well. I find myself referring to it as “home” sometimes. I do struggle with loneliness, but it is something that I know I need to not be so sensitive to when I go back to London.
I feel the need to travel more and see other countries. I discovered this opportunity for a reason. I’ve already come this far. I am mustering up the courage to leave you again and essentially start from scratch once more. I will lose my job. I will need to find another apartment. But there is so much for me to gain….
I
bonzailove 