Home is wherever I'm with you

I don't really feel I can put the last month into words, or not well enough to fully describe how truly inspiring it has been. Oddly enough, it already feels like a life time ago. It's been two weeks since I got back from the Dominican Republic and I've felt like I have been on a come down ever since. On numerous occasions I have tried to write about the experience, but every time, no words are drawn to me. Everything seems inadequate now and its so hard to explain the way I'm feeling.
I guess my apprehension before I left was to be expected, but completely unnecessary. All the things I worried about, were areas in which I excelled. I should have been more worried about my emotional preparedness. It shouldn't take a trip to a third world country to make you value what you have, but there is no way that it can't. I've found a real sense of perspective on things, I often wonder who benefited more from this trip, me or the people I met?
In our society we all lead such busy lives, when do we ever really take a break? We always seem to be worrying about something. The relief of leaving everything like that home was most welcome and its hard to try and get back into the swing on things. I think, more to the point, I don't want to get back into routine and lose that feeling.

This is not your only chance

What a week it has been. I don't feel like I've stopped all week and it certainly isn't about to slow down. After a brilliant night at Dark party last Saturday, I was out for the count on Sunday. There was a lot of much needed catching up to be done...and we certainly succeeded. I have never had such a head ache and the night is still a beautiful blur to me. I blame Miss Conway and Miss Bull for the excessive amount of vodka shots that were consumed that night.
I couldn't wallow in my hangover for long, before I knew it I was heading back up north, to Leeds, to pack up the last two years of my life. It was not a task I was looking forward to. The mammoth task of cleaning the manor was also not something I looked forward to. I arrived back to Leeds and instantly threw myself into the task, luckily my boyfriend was coming over that night and I felt I deserved a break. I was particularly looking forward to seeing him because for the next two weeks I will be away in the Dominican Republic, I'll explain later. This was one of the last times I would see him, so I wanted to savour every moment with him. It only felt like he was there for five minutes before he was gone again the next morning. And so, for me, it was back to packing. Luckily Jenny had come over to help me and she couldn't have come at a better time. I was already at my wits end and drowning in a mass of clothes I wasn't even aware that I owned. For the next two days I felt on the verge of a break down. I never want to move house again and I'm swaying towards a more minimalistic way of life.

And now I am home again, in Luton, getting last minute preparations for my trip to the Dominican Republic tomorrow. I'll be there for two weeks, but I'll try and post. I'm going with a charity and my family to work in a slum village, which is home to Haitian refugees. I went five years ago with just my dad, and had an amazing experience. I met some of the most beautiful people and some incredible friends for life. In all honesty though, I'm really nervous.