Having got off the plane the first thing I noticed was everything was a lot more Christmasy. All the lights were up, songs were blasting from everywhere and I felt the cold blast of English weather and I knew that yes, Christmas was here. It's weird being home. On the plane I missed International House so much. I felt so much nostalgia for it that I couldn't really sleep or concentrate on what I was watching or reading. Everything little thing reminded me of personal inside jokes, which I realised I have to go three weeks before anyone understands why I was laughing at a particular thing.

Things on the Plane that reminded me of UCSD:-

1. The film I was watching - the main theme tune at the end of the movie was 'I believe in a thing called love'. Now it is an ongoing joke that this is the only song Peter knows how to play on the guitar and he always starts playing it when Betty is about to settle down to work. The fact he plays it over and over again also frustrates Betty a little bit. I think I scared the person next to me because when it came on I burst out laughing.

2. The lady gave me pretzels when I first asked for a drink on the plane. I've just admitted to my friends the other day that when I was little I used to lick the pretzels and put them back in the packet because I hated pretzels but loved salt. We had literally been joking about it the other day.

3. Whipped cream. At the Starbucks in San Diego Airport the pair before me asked for Frappucinos with whipped cream. Andy can do the best whipped cream noise impersonations I ever heard in my life and Andy and I were joking about it in IHOP on Saturday. I just had to smile inwardly to myself.

 That was only on the plane/airport journey. But I've slowly started to realise what people will not understand while I am here.

1. 'F**k demmm' - I try my hardest not to swear but I do join in the 'demmmm' bit. It is because Edu (who is Spanish) says this line a lot and pronounce it this way so hence forth, we have all started adopting the way he says things.

2. 'High Five: WOOO!' Betty and I made up a high-five which has slowly spread its way around our friendship group so now everybody does it. I went to high five my sister today....it felt weird not having the extra bit on the end. Like an incomplete, unmeaningful high-five.

3. 'Cheeky.' Putting cheeky in a sentence when there is nothing cheeky to be talked about. Andy and I had to try explain what Cheeky meant to people at the beginning of the semester. I think most of our friends now understand what it means but some still pretend they don't and it is an ongoing joke to say anything is 'Cheeky' even when it is far from cheeky. They simply pretend to not understand.

4. Being Invisible - Betty and Catalina will understand what I mean.

5. I make tea differently now. I pour water into cups and then pour the cups into the kettle - it's a way of saving water.

There are lots more but I am having difficulty thinking at 3 in the morning.

But basically......I miss you UCSD x