The End...

So, just like that my Gap year is over!

I couldn't have imagined a more perfect year than what I had. It was so much better than I could ever have hoped for, I saw so many places and met so many incredible people that I will keep in contact with forever (I hope!)

It was a year that I was so uncertain about. On my first night at the school I had a bit of a moment and suddenly realised what I had done, that I had actually moved to the other side of the world all by myself, to a country that I knew almost nothing about, and a job that I had no idea what I would be doing, or who I would be working with.. But I decided to not let any of that worry me, because I had been looking forward to my gap year for the last three years, and I was determined to have a good one.

Little did I know that I didn't need to worry about it, because everyone I worked with was amazing and made me feel at home within a week of being there, my job was so much fun and it never felt like I was actually working, I would travel to 21 countries throughout the year and love every single one of them. I made so many new friends that I never felt alone, no matter what time it was or where I was, I always had someone to chat to. I had the most amazing extended family who took me in and made me feel like a real part of the family time and time again, who showed me places I never would have discovered for myself and who let me stay in their spare rooms, eat their food and use their washing machine without a second thought. To the Slades and the Scotts, I will forever be grateful for what you did for me, and I will be sure to return the favour if you should find yourselves in my corner of the world!

It was a year where I didn't go to the cinema, and instead I went to the theatre, yes all by myself but I had the best time ever. I went on spontaneous trips, spent all my money on whatever I wanted because I didn't have to worry about a student loan, so I went everywhere I could, I brought too many clothes and ate too much food (and accidentally gained a bit too much weight from the food..) but I don't regret a thing. I always told myself it didn't matter if I came home with a dollar to my name, I never went there to make money, I went there to experience life in a different country, to grow up from a kid fresh out of high school who was so paranoid about missing trains and hated talking to anyone I didn't know, to someone who would catch a bus to another country without thinking twice and who would chat to someone I had never met without worrying about it, and I didn't even notice it happening.

I know this will sound vain and a bit cheesy but I am so proud of myself for doing this. For proving to myself that I can do anything I want to, that I moved as far away from home as you can get and I came back a completely different person, without having gotten homesick or being to worried to do something I might not enjoy. I showed myself that I wouldn't get laughed at if I went to a restaurant by myself, or if I accidentally got on the wrong train and had to get off a stop after I got on. I taught myself that it didn't matter if I got lost because someone would always help me figure out where I was, and half the time I was lost I found something worth taking a photo of that I wouldn't have found otherwise.

So that's it. Thats the last post for my gap year. I hope you've enjoyed this little blog and the stories I've told throughout the year.. I know I've enjoyed making all these memories sharing them with you..