After living abroad for over 4.5 years, I had enough.

I just wanted to live like a normal person for a while, for daily life to be easy and to not be a struggle. I loved living abroad but it certainly wasn’t a walk in the park. Even simple things like buying groceries can be extremely frustrating and stressful.

I didn’t just pack up and leave Moscow though, I spend 2 weeks to give it the send-off it deserved. I’m so glad because otherwise, I would have left Moscow frustrated by its problems, rather than being awed by its brilliance.

A friend was kind enough to let me stay at her lovely city centre apartment for my final 2 weeks. It was a great base to explore the city without the time constraints of work.

I attended a last ballet at the Kremlin, a Grand opera at the world-famous Bolshoi, ate as much khachapuri as I could fit in and visited one of the best restaurants in the world. I also spent a few days beside a pool in Moscow city centre!

The hardest thing was saying goodbye to the amazing friends that I’ve made in Moscow. Arguably the most difficult thing about being an expat is having to make new friends when arriving, and leaving those friends when your time in the country comes to an end.

So now I’m in England, and I have no grand travel plans or work plans. Probably for the first time in my life. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and spend time with friends and family, enjoying home.

I’m sure I will have another grand epiphany soon; until then I’m satisfied by living the easy life. I’ve joined a tennis club and I plan to join a gym. I’ve also joined a local toastmasters club to work on my public speaking.

How long do you think I’ll be able to last in England?