If I could tell you why I picked this GIF, I would. But isn't this ginger tom eating a banana adorable?!
As you can probably deduce from the heading - I'm back in Rome! When I arrived the flat had no Wifi, and prior to that I was quite busy with packing and, you know, doing the essential 'I'm leaving for like a month gotta get shit done ahhhhh' stuff, so no blog post unfortunately. Sorry to have left you in the lurch without any Maddie joy but hey, I'm back, don't panic! I'd never leave you!
Anyway, I thought I'd talk about how I've felt coming back to Rome and leaving home again. As a uni student, you'd probably think I'm used to being away from home. And you'd be right. Mostly. But being in another country makes me miss home so so much more. Being in London for 2 and a half weeks was so lovely - my Christmas was great, and relaxing; catching up with friends around new years was amazing, and spending time with my boyfriend and eating crappy (I mean, compared to Italian, but something about a pie and mash just hits the spot.) English food again was lovely. Mostly, it was great just being at home, with my family. I guess being away makes me love and miss them more - probably because I'm hardly actually at home long enough to remember how annoying they all can be to live with (kidding!). Or maybe I just like being cooked for, and having a clean and functioning house and clean laundry. Yeah, it's probably (mostly) that.
Rome is great. It's amazing in fact, who could complain living 20 minutes from the Colosseum?! But having to say goodbye to my family again, and my boyfriend, knowing the next time I see them may not be a happy occasion (I'm back in London for a chest CT in February), was really hard. Moreover, coming back to Rome, not with the intention of sight-seeing and eating all the Gelato, but instead having to study for upcoming (very very closely impending) exams, was really not a pleasant thought. Now I'm here in Rome, and I miss my family and my friends - BUT, I've eaten pizza, and pasta, and they were delicious. I've caught up with some friends, and it is warm enough that a bee broke into my kitchen yesterday (terrifying, but a sign of pleasant weather). I'm also trying to plan multiple exciting trips and things for the coming months. And, I've brought plenty of English mementos back (mementos i.e. jam, tea bags, Nando's sauce and many new cuddly scarfs and jumpers...), for when I'm feeling homesick. So, exams may be scary and terrible, but I'm making the most of it, and my room feels slightly more homely with a couple new pieces of dodie merch. hehe...
So here's me, trying to stay positive and calm, after all, when in Rome! Right? Right? Like, do as the Romans do! as they say. (Somebody please tell me everything's going to be okay... please...?)
I hope 2018 has started off A-okay for all or any of you reading. Love as always and I'll be back soon(ish - when I'm not 'revising' for my bloody exams). Hope you've enjoyed this Maddie-ramble number 1002, until the 1003rd one,
M x