Summer engagements

After half a year that felt like it would never end I visited my
family and my partner for two weeks. This was long overdue. I missed
all of them so much, and I missed my hometown so much. While my
stay abroad is an amazing opportunity that I'm grateful to have,
I also know more than certainly now that my heart is somewhere
else.

My wonderful partner and I have been talking about a life together
for a while now. We agreed that we want to stick together, and two
weeks ago got officially engaged. Seeing the ring on her finger
fills my heart with warmth - it is a physical reminder of the
promise that we'll grow old together. In that line, I have vowed
to take better care of my health. I got a fitness tracker and
ordered a blood pressure cuff, and I'll look into options to
regularly exercise. Especially my back would benefit from that in
the short term, and in the long term that's generally a healthy
habit to have.

Another thing that I felt was really lacking from my current life
was the possibility of going out, walking, and then there is a nice
place to maybe sit, have a coffee or ice cream or cake, and just
be. My fiancee and I often take after-dinner night walks in the
city where we just enjoy the vibrancy and liveliness of the streets.
That's something my life abroad simply does not have, and I really
miss it. I am European, and I always will be.

Now I am sitting at the airport, waiting to board my flight back.
The goodbye was hard, but knowing that both my parents as well as
my fiance will visit me soon (within the next three months!) makes
me feel much better.