I’ve lived abroad for more than a third of my life and where to call home, particularly in the future, is something that every now and then occupies a lot of my mind.
Today I went to Copenhagen with my sister, the city I lived in for nearly 6 years, and the memories came flooding back. I haven’t been to Copenhagen that much since I left in February 2006 to move to London, but coming back today I realised that Copenhagen, just as Lund where I’m born and London where I now live, will always be home. I know all three cities really well and each one has played a massive role in my life.
Lund is where I grew up. It’s the city that shaped my early years. It’s in Lund I got to know some of my closest and dearest friends. It’s where I had my first kiss, cycled in the snow and used to rollerblade with a friend the 12-13km to the beach and back. Lund is where I started my uni days and got a first taste of adulthood before moving across the sea to Denmark.
Copenhagen on the other hand is where I really became an adult, as much as I ever will be. It’s where I found my ground, had my first real job related to what I do today. It was in that city that I first built a life from scratch and where I decided to commit to a new country and learn the language. I felt proud to live in Denmark and though I never felt Danish (too close to Sweden) I developed a special bond with Copenhagen and the Danish language, something I still carry with me today 6 1/2 years later.
And then London. That’s when the world really opened up and I was faced with opportunities that I never thought I would be a part of. It’s where I met D, bought our first home together and where I became the Anna I am work wise. It’s where one place, Dare, more than any other taught me what I know today and gave me colleagues who became more like my extended family away from home.
London is also the city that encouraged me to go after my dreams. Where diversity and opportunities invited me to give it a go and made it less scary. And it’s where I got to experience the Olympics coming to the city I live in. With all it has to offer and all that it has given me I don’t think I can ever fully leave London. It, just as Copenhagen, has stolen a piece of my heart.
Walking around in Copenhagen the other day I felt a little bit sentimental but it soon turned to happiness. In all three cities I’ve made some fantastic friends and had amazing experiences. Each city and the people that has played a part in my life has shaped me into who I am today and I feel very fortunate to be able to call all three of them home.
Tomorrow – Day 228 | Some me time
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/h_is_for_home/3948893936
