37 Hyde Park Gate

“There are few things pure in this world anymore, and home is one of the few. We'd have a drink outside, maybe run and hide if we saw a couple men in blue. To me it's so damn easy to see that true people are the people at home. Well, I've been away but now I'm back today, and there ain’t a place I'd rather go.

I feel home, when I see the faces that remember my own. I feel home, when I'm chillin outside with the people I know. I feel home, and that's just what I feel. Home to me is reality, and all I need is something real.”

When I decided to study abroad, it never occurred to me that London, England- and more particularly 37 Hyde Park Gate- would truly be a place I considered home.  It was a far away country, it was unknown sights and sounds.  It was more of a long-term vacation, but, of course, it was a dream come true.

Home always seemed to be where my parents were, where my bed was, a city I knew like the back of my hand.  Home was my kitchen, home was my closet, a place where all my memories were hidden. But, on my way back from traveling the past couple of weekends, I have come to realize that it absolutely is.  It’s where I long to get back to after being away, it brings me a sense of peace, and a sense of stability.  Its fake fireplace and freezing common room are things I found only too easy to accept. 

Do sometimes I think 37 Hyde Park Gate is going to drive me a little crazy? Absolutely. 

Would I trade it for anything in the world?  Absolutely not. 

The strong sense of affection I feel for this flat, and this city, is a stronger pull than the gravity that holds me to the ground I walk on.  I love the style of the windows, and the style of the doors. I love the tube, I love the parks, I love the shops. I love how much I’m learning without putting forth any effort.  I love the restaurants, the architecture, I love the dogs.  I love my flat- I love its creaky doors, and overwhelmingly loud toilets.  I love the door handles, I love the carpeting, I love the balcony.  I love being surrounded by my friends, and hearing about their adventures as well as sharing my own.  I love the tight knit, interwoven relationships that have been formed here, and I love knowing that these people and these relationships are not something that needs to be left here when I leave this wonderful place I am able to call home.