One particular problem that I don't envisage getting rid of for another 7 months is the 'This Time Last Year' syndrome. Take today, for example. My American friends had their last day of classes for a week and have all gone home for Thanksgiving Break. Realising this, I immediately thought, "oh, this time last year I was in my room packing to go to Daytona Beach for a few days". It's like I'm reliving what's in the past a year later - except I'm not actually reliving it. Whenever I find myself actively submitting to the 'This Time Last Year' syndrome, you'll find me going onto facebook and having a look through pictures, as was the case about half an hour ago when I looked through my Thanksgiving Break photos.
Not only did I go to Daytona Beach for 4 days with two of my friends who came to Illinois with me from Nottingham; I spent the second half of the week with a lovely friend of one of the girls I was with, at her house in Minnesota. It was an amazing 3 days and we got to look round Minneapolis and be huge tourists at the Mall of America, as well as having a real American Thanksgiving dinner!
To the warm...
(Daytona Beach, FL)
And to the cold...
(Minneapolis, MN)
The whole week was a nice breather and temporary chance to reflect on the amazing 3 months we had spent in Illinois already. And from there, the year flashed by in an instant. The reason I can't see the 'This Time Last Year' syndrome slipping away for another 7 months is because, until next June, it won't have been a year since everything ended; since I flew home, said goodbye to my friends and the life I had built, and returned to the UK to resume life as normal. Except it hasn't been normal again.. Not yet. I've still got all those months left of thinking what I was doing exactly 365 days ago; and even when I eventually pass the year mark, I'm not sure my nostalgia and longing to be back there will have diminished.
One comforting thing is that I'm not alone in having the 'This Time Last Year' syndrome. I'm with a bunch of people here in Nottingham who spent the year in Illinois with me. Whilst it will never be the same, having them here is very lucky and means we can reminisce together, which we do. A lot.
- A.T.
