It has been just over 7 days since we landed in the UK. Squeezing a quick trip to Edinburgh, we dragged ourselves to the bus station to catch a 05:15am Megabus to Manchester, where we were picked up by Kyle’s parents. Within a few hours plenty of hugs were exchanged, our backpacks were thrown down in the spare room, and before I could blink I was back on the sofa with a cuppa’ tea in hand; it was like we had never left.

From that very moment 7 days have fast forwarded past me like a TV remote (I forgot that you can rewind/forward programs with Sky TV). I’m sitting in the comfort of the lounge typing this post; the cosy fireplace and cup of tea beside me keeps me warm and fuzzy, as do my slipper socks (which I could never wear when travelling due to the insane heat).

I initially wanted to write this post the day after we came back, but my mind wasn’t in the right state to voice my thoughts. In all honesty from the moment I sat down on the sofa, everything I’ve accomplished from this past year had melted away into some sort of dream-like state. Almost to the point like it never happened. Is that weird? Or is that still the jet-lag talking?

After a night’s rest I awoke feeling like I had been here for years; all those memories of super basic, run down accommodations we succumbed to regulary had now become just that: memories.

You see, after a year of consistently changing beds, food, culture and lifestyle, the mind begins to adapt to this new style of living. This all changes once the backpacks are down and ‘normality’ kicks in.In this case it kicked me right in the face.

My mind is still comprehending the past years events, trying to condense every thought, emotion and experience into some kind of mind-storage unit. My body is yet to keep up with current events as it sluggishly readjusts to the sharp temperature drop and old (but new) time zone.

The one thing which I’m having difficulty adjusting to is the classic, British sarcastic trail of misery. Now before I say anymore, please hear me out...

I don’t intend to cause offence by saying that, so I’ll sum it up like this –

After a year of travelling around Asia, I’ve gotten used to the curious nature of people. This annoying but likeable trait has sparked many conversations with unique individuals, young and old. Heck, I’ve even had conversations with people who don’t even speak my language! Equally the other major thing I’m accustomed to is the infectious amount of smiling; these small priceless gestures (both given and received) turned even the most downbeat of days around.

Now I’m not saying that the things I’ve mentioned above aren’t true in the UK. It’s just that it requires more effort with some people. The British have a unique, ‘drier’ sense of humour which usually involves a dose of sarcasm thrown in for good measure. Smiles aren’t really a priority either; we’d rather moan about the weather, bills, taxes, what he/or she said etc etc etc. If this intrigues you then check out this article which describes the various categories involved with British humour!

As with most things we do, time will eventually settle me back into the UK lifestyle. At present, we’ve roughly forecast being back for a year as we have several friend’s weddings to attend over the following months. It seems like a long time, but 365 days have catapulted passed me, whats another 365 hey?