A year ago today, I was packing and trying to fit everything into my already-full suitcase, while choosing which pieces should be left behind. As usual, I’d left it until last minutes to pack. My room should have been emptied by then, but clothes are strewn all over the place, cardboard boxes were being filled in a rush, and the wine on the table disappeared scarily faster than I’d imagine.

Amidst the chaos, my housemates called me, and gave me a farewell card along with a tube of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. We hugged goodbye and ate the ice cream, and when we were done, it was time for me to leave for the party a friend was having. He was leaving for Norway, and he had 3 bottles of tequila he wouldn’t be able to bring. Being a Mexican that he is, he decided that the only solution for that was to throw a mad party (seriously, Mexicans throw the best parties).

The sensible me would have stayed and finished packing, but as many times before, the reckless me won the battle. I thought, this is my last chance to see everyone, I’d better not miss it. So off I went.

The party was a success. We all had fun chatting and dancing and doing karaoke, and the enormous bottles of tequila were gone by the end of the night. That night was all a bit blurry for me. I just remember dancing salsa until my feet hurt, being forced by Maša to drink water to avoid the hangover the next day, and enjoying my last chance of freedom before going back to Indonesia (heaven knows I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I did in Southampton once I got back to Indonesia). There was one point when we were hugging and crying by the stove, telling things like “I’m gonna miss you” and “Thank you for everything.” People were staring at us, failing miserably to be discreet. Maybe they thought one of us was dying.

It was a good night. I remember writing my last post in Southampton, feeling immensely sad and miserable as I was packing. But at that party, I forgot about that and just enjoyed the moment. And my last night there, had summed up my time in Southampton in the best way possible: unexpected, fun, and adventurous. And the people? They’re the main reason why I have a smile on my face whenever I reminisce about my time in Southampton.