As I sat in my nearly empty home (The School House) in Brighton, surrounded by boxes and suitcases, I couldn’t help but feel completely content with my time in that wonderful home. Brighton is the most incredible second home to me, but without The School House and the people in it, it simply would not have been the same. Before I dive right in, please excuse the corny nostalgia to come. The School House was home to myself, Lu, Darien and Lo, but quickly became home to many who walked through our little white door. Each room tells a different story of growth, self-realisation and love, working to create the happy and warm place that it was. Home to 4 very different people, the School House became a place of discussion, sharing of culture, and newfound appreciations. Every person, whether a tenant or a friend, was welcome. No matter what beliefs or opinions one held, we always had room. This house was so incredibly special and leaving it was incredibly difficult.
My first semester studying in Brighton was not exactly what I had hoped for, but as a pioneer of the phrase, ‘everything happens for a reason,’ I wouldn’t change it at all. As I was not enjoying my first semester at the University of Sussex as much as I’d hoped, I spent a great deal of time in London and I was able to reconnect and see many of my dear friends living there. So, although I struggled, I was also able to re-engage with some of my very best friends. I also would not have been able to live with the people I had in Brighton, if I had not waited until they all came in semester 2. Everything did happen for a reason and I am so glad and so unbelievably grateful that it did.
The girls I was lucky enough to be around for 6 months are some of the most incredible people I have ever met, each very unique, but equally as intelligent, kind and warm. To each of: you taught me so much; about myself, about my values and about the world in which we live, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. Our journey together is something I will always hold very close to me. We saw each other for the people that we truly are and celebrated every difference as well as every similarity. Each of you taught me so much more than I could possibly explain. For every late night chat, or early morning walk, for every night we drank too much, or day we ate too much, for every yoga class, every lentil bake, every pub quiz; for each and every moment, thank you. I love you all so much. We’re all scattered around the world now, however I think of each of you every day and cannot wait to be reunited. To all my angels in London, and scattered around the rest of the UK, you made the entirety of the UK a second home, and without each of you, my life over there would not have been as fulfilling as it was.
The School House was an incredibly happy place, without which, our lives together in Brighton would have been very different. To my housemates and those who helped to make The School House a home, thank you for accepting this crazy hippie into your lives, each of you hold a very special place in my heart and I love you all dearly. Our little Brighton family was the backbone of my entire experience in the UK and I cannot thank each person enough for their love and kindness. The world is such a big place, but I know I will always have a home in Brighton, and for that I could not be more thankful.
Rosa for Dummies 