“In your first few hours in a new place, while you’re still dazed, before you can even really believe you’ve arrived, you see it more vividly and clearly than you ever will again.”
-- Michael Frayn, Sweet Dreams
That first day, while the four YAGMs I had traveled with were all met one-by-one by their host families or host site coordinators at the Heathrow airport, I lugged two heavy suitcases on the tube through London to King's Cross. There, I sat in a stupor watching tourists take their pictures at the Harry Potter trolley cart waiting for my train up to York. The only notable thought I recall from that hazyhour was, "Uuughhhh....what was I thinking?!?!".
Even though I was tired and overwhelmed and had no idea what was in store for me, I also remember the first few weeks of being in England as being a time where I noticed everything with fresh eyes and it was thrilling. I got a little frisson of pleasure whenever I discovered a quirk of British culture. I can't describe it any other way than that my eyes felt very wide open. I was soaking in the world around me. I wonder if there is a word in another language for this sensation - or an English word I don't know. If you do, send it to me!
I felt that the littlest, most mundane things were incredibly exciting - the double yellow lines on no-parking zones, driving on the left side of the road, the way that that signs had "please" and "thank you", the on-off switch at electrical outlets, and the 5p cost of every shopping bag.
It was enchanting to see ancient stone structures next door to the library, the ruins of an abbey in a public garden, to live only steps from the famed city walls.
And I really liked seeing waterfowl all over the place - York is on the water and renowned for having geese and ducks wandering about the city.
Like these dudes who were strutting through the Sainsbury's parking early one morning.
Growing personally in relation to the city was delightful, too. I loved slowly but surely getting a sense of my surroundings and not getting lost so much (but I also kind of loved getting lost, too). I loved finally finding "my" places - the library, the bookstores, the cafes, and the parks that I'd go to when I wanted comfort and solace.
And I loved the walkability and friendliness of the streets of York. I rejoiced in the tiny triumphs of making friends and getting to know people, of getting involved with something at work, and relished a little bit of extra alone time. I felt - and still feel - like my eyes were wide open, soaking in everything new and different.
This is a joyous reflection on what makes living here wonderful, but it's also been one of the hardest years of my life, and it's easy to forget how lucky I am to be in York. When I realize I'm starting to take this year for granted, I try to capture that open-eyed feeling again and look around my temporary home and appreciate all the little fascinating details that make England unique.
I try to remember the feeling of freshness of living in a new place I had when I first arrived. The sensation of boundless appreciation for newness, captured perfectly by this quote, helps me remember what a privilege it is be living here.
No comments:
Post a Comment