It was strange returning to Cambridge after our Christmas holidays up north with Jeremy’s family. I suppose it shouldn’t have been. I returned to Cambridge after Christmas last year for a few days. This time as I stepped off the train at Cambridge Station, it felt different. I had no onward journey, I didn’t need to think about getting on a train in a few days bound for Leicester. I was…home.

Home has taken on a very strange meaning for me. I imagine it’s the same for many ex-pats. After a while home becomes less of a place and more of a mushy, fluid, semi-mental state. I’m not quite sure what or where home is any more to be honest. I just know that Cambridge is it now. It’s where I spend my time and where I live and where I’m happy. I think that’s a pretty good working definition of home.

It has been quite a rush to get things livable here. Though I’ve been paying rent for my place in Cambridge since mid-November I’ve only spent a handful of nights here. I moved and two days later we were off for Christmas in the north. We came back on the 30th and hit the ground running. There is so much that goes into setting up a place; a home. I had sort of forgotten. I’ve spent the past three years living in student digs. While not uncomfortable and certainly at time homey, student digs aren’t the same as a flat with your significant other who is a proper working professional. All of a sudden I’m caring about things like the style of duvet, finding decorative baskets to hide our chargers in, and ensuring that all of the posters are properly framed and lit. Who even am I? Don’t I have a PhD to finish?

Alongside decorating, I’m also in the midst of buying my first vehicle in the UK. Yes, you read that right. I’m in the market for a set of wheels. Two to be exact. Cambridge is a city of bicycles. It’s the preferred method of transport and living as we do slightly outside of the city centre, it’s kind of essential I have my own way of getting to places. There are buses of course and I will definitely be using those as well, but bus fare does add up and as we’ve established, I’ve got decorative cushions to buy.

I suppose the other change I’m getting used to is cohabiting with Jeremy. All of a sudden there is just this other person who is always around. It’s like he owns half of it or something. I’ve had housemates before of course but it is a bit different living with your significant other. I’ll be completely honest, it’s pretty great. I like knowing I’ve got a partner for when the going gets tough or when I need a bit of extra help with reaching things off of the top shelf or when I want to play Elder Sign or Castle Panic. I’m sure we’ll find things about each other that drive us mad, that’s half the fun of living with people.

For now, I need to get back to my quest log…er to do list. I mean those slipcovers aren’t going to sort themselves out!