I've lived in the UK for exactly four months as of today. Four months. As in, a third of this year. It's going incredibly fast, and some days I can't get over how quickly I've grown accustomed to calling it my home. Don't get me wrong, I have my girly melt-down moments where I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of things back home, but I would say that 95% of the time, I'm content. When I'm meeting new teachers who tell me that they only want to stay for six months before heading back home, I secretly think they're crazy; why would you come all this way and only stay a few short months?

As easy as it is to complain about the public transport here, it's actually fairly painless for the most part. I never thought I'd take to catching multiple modes of transportation in the morning, particularly coming from a place where I accessed everything by car. I don't mind it though; it's actually sort of nice being able to take a breather and read the paper of a morning on the way to walk. (Of course, breathing is highly over-rated when the person next to you hasn't brushed their teeth or applied deoderant.)

I love the cold weather, so fitting in with that hasn't been too difficult. I think I'm the only person living in the United Kingdom whose heart drops at the thought of warm summer days. Give me a cup of tea and a blanket to snuggle under, over sweaty armpits and greasy skin any day of the week!

I've tried to push myself to do things I wouldn't normally have the chance to do back home. Back home, I was never much of a social butterfly, though I'm doing my best to get out and explore while I'm here. No, I'm not going out clubbing and drinking every evening; that's never going to be me. But I am trying to do new things, experience random events, and meet new people. I hope that continues no matter how long I stay.

London is an amazing place to visit, and even more amazing to call home. It's so diverse, and often overwhelming. There are so many parts to it that I don't think I'll ever get a chance to explore, but I'm looking forward to doing my best. In four months time, I hope to have a whole stack of things to add to my memory bank.

Long story short? I think what I'm trying to say is that four months in, I'm happy.