Thank you for being my home this year, and for being a home I will always come back to for the rest of my life. Thank you for challenging me to take that daring step to go abroad, and for giving me the confidence and strength to live on my own.

Thank you for showing me some of the most stunning, and captivating views I’ve ever seen; from Holyrood Palace, to the Castle, to Arthur’s Seat, to Calton Hill.

Thank you for the strong winds that have always pushed me in the right direction, for soft rains and thoughtful strolls, and mornings of pure sunshine that are so magical.

Thank you for introducing me to a nation immersed in history with a haunting past that has emerged into the stunning facade of the city, inhabited by some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Thank you for being the place I met the kindest and truest friends from all over the world, who I will stay in touch with long after this year.

We may not all be in Edinburgh together at the same time, but we will certainly meet again, and we will always have the memories of our time here together.

Thank you Edinburgh for making it so hard to leave you, which proves my experience was everything I hoped for and more. I could not have asked for a better experience, and sometimes it still feels like a dream. I have never felt this at home in any other place in the world, and I feel so fortunate to have made my home here.

Thank you for making me see life in an entirely new perspective, for opening my mind to other cultures and viewpoints, and for allowing me to see the sunset over the castle from the other side of the world.

Thank you for letting me find myself this year, and prove to myself that I can live independently in a foreign country, and find true friendships along the way

I do not know when I will see you again, and maybe that scares me the most, but all of the memories of this year will always be my dearest. There will not be a day that goes by that I won’t think of these cherished memories, and imagine standing on the Royal Mile, or up on the Crags.

With only one day left, I realize that I am not the same person I was when I left. I am stronger, more confident, and so much happier. My sadness in leaving is matched by my sheer gratitude for every moment I got to spend here this year, and all of the wonderful people I got to spend it with.

I have enough memories to last a lifetime. Even though I do not know what the future holds, this year has taught me that I will enjoy every second of the journey and marvel at the view, no matter what it is. Whether in the familiarity of my backyard, or of the panoramic views of Edinburgh city center from the Crags at dusk, the view will be amazing.