Entered on 13 August 2003 at 8:28 a.m..
European Freedom
As my time here draws to a close, I am reminded from time to time about why it is I have come to love both the UK and Europe. I cannot explain the feeling any better than total freedom. Something about the ancient set up of walkable towns and cities. The closeness of everything that for the most part enables reliable bus and rail services. The wide spread and far flung network of cheap accommodation in the form of youth hostels. One gets the sense here that you could pick up at any moment and go to a thousand different places without ever having to drive a car, buy insurance or do anything but wander and see centuries of human civilization captured in the shops, houses, fountains and churches dotted around the countryside.
I know there are lots of adjustment stages to go through when adjusting to a new place and a new culture, but I did that a while ago, and now Britian feels like home. I wonder if this feeling will ever fade? Will I ever come back to the UK and feel like an outsider, or will the small patch of London that I know always feel familiar. Will I ever feel the same terror when driving along the left hand side of the road again, or taking small country lanes at 60mph? On this perfect summer morning, it is amazing how comfortable Cranfield can feel.