Freedom

Freedom is important. We can see it every day; countries kept in an iron grip rebel, caged animals complain, prisoners dream of escape. The people around me all seem to be feeling this need for freedom, and I know at least two who are changing countries to try and get away from something.

Mark, who lives in Malta (as I'm sure many of you know) is, next July, moving over here to the UK. He's fleeing Malta not because of family or life in general, but because of the hot summers. The temperature out there in August is enough to make any man sweat as soon as he leaves the house and, frankly, I'm not surprised that he wants to leave. Malta is a great holiday destination, it's beautiful and has a load of culture as well as spectacular night-time views as well as great places for dining. However, I wouldn't want to live there all year around.

I guess, unsurprisingly, I am part of the reason he's moving over here. I feel undecided about that point, though he's been looking to move north for some years now, I wonder what would happen if something went crazily wrong. Would he move back? Would he stay? I honestly don't know.

On the flip-side of this, Hayley is thinking of wandering away to a foreign country for a while to explore and live away from home. I can understand this too. Her reason for leaving is to break the bonds of her childhood: education, home life, work. Taking into consideration the magnitude of these bonds, I'm not actually surprised that she wants out of the country. Saying I'm happy about her moving across the world would be a complete and utter lie, but life is short and if she wants to do it then she should.

I also had a conversation with my sister Lizzie about the idea of moving out and away from home. It's very difficult, once you've had a taste of the freedom that you need, to come back to the cage. I wonder whether Lizzie will just move out all together. I wonder if my parents will approve of what she wants to do, and whether she will care. I wonder if Hayley will want to come back, and if she will be able to move back in with her parents when she does.

Part of me wonders what I'll do without Hayley: where will all our girly chats go? And all our conversations about the ins and outs of gaming? Will it stop? Will she miss out on the beginning of Guild Wars 2? Will she even come back the same person?