Heading Home

 So it was that time again, the worst part of any trip away from home. The time to go home. After spending nearly 5 weeks in Spain and Andorra, having seen some magnificent sights, experienced some amazing food and events, and getting a dodgy tan, it was time to make my way back home.

My original plan had included visiting Madrid too, but I'd run out of time (as I always seem to on these trips, its a recurring theme). My ferry was booked home from Santander, so in a sort of race across the world style, I had to race from Seville to Santander, on what felt like the longest coach ride of my life. I could have caught the train, which would have been faster, but having been travelling for the previous 7 months, (not to mention the 11 months the year before that) I was starting to run out of money, and needed to conserve what I had, especially with rent to pay and I wouldn't get paid until the following month in a worst case scenario. So Coach it was, and it took around 12 hours. I managed to get a little sleep during it, but spent most of the time gazing wistfully at the sigh of Spain rushing past me. And yet, I felt like there was still so much to see and do!

I arrived in Santander very late, literally got to the hostel and went to straight to sleep. Took this fun picture while I was walking there from the bus station, the Spanish know how to light a building at night!

The ferry was due to leave around 2pm the next day, so I had a bit of time to just wander through the streets of Santander aimlessly, picking up a few last bits to take home with me. (I'd heard the food on the ferry was terrible, so I made sure I brought some snacks with me.

The ferry was delayed, (of course) so I spent a while sat in the ferry terminal waiting, and it suddenly occoured to me, my rucksack had been with me the entire time, and yet I'd never posted a picture of it. My rucksack had been to 27 countries, and had been my only companion! So here is a picture of my rucksack, looking a little scraped and dirty, but none the less glorious!

The ferry journey was lovely, I made a friend called Ruth, who had also been travelling in Spain. We shared our life stories while sailing home. She is on a mission to remove litter from the streets of the world, while also promoting just how far you can go with a bus pass in England. Check out her blog here, its fascinating! https://rubbishruthsrambles.co.uk

It felt like a long voyage, just over 24 hours in fact. But before long we were returning to the UK, and on the horizon, the Spinnaker tower came into view. It was a bittersweet moment. It meant my travels had once again finished, and my seven months of travelling had ended. But is also meant that I would be home, and could start getting back to some normality, and enjoy some of the creature comforts at home that I had missed while travelling (Particularly my own bed)

Those seven months had passed so fast, I almost couldn't believe it. And as I stepped off the ferry and back onto dry land, it seemed that the memories were almost fading away in front of my eyes. But I knew it wouldn't be forever, I knew I would soon be away exploring again, once I'd saved up some money first! My mum met me in the terminal, and we had some lunch together, before catching the train back home to Southampton.

I'm writing this now, a long time after I came back from travelling. (Yes I do apologise, this blog is very, very far behind. These travels happened in 2018, and so much has happened since then. I'm trying my best to catch up) but I always remember that feeling of coming home. Sad, because my great adventure had finished, but happy, because it meant that I would be able to go again someday.

Never stop exploring, and never stop enjoying the exploration.

Welcome back home!