Changes have happened - on the blog and in life. It's been a while since I've updated the internet on what's been going on in my life and now seemed like the right time to do so. 

Let's start with the glaringly obvious. Yes, I've completely revamped my blog layout. I've been bored of my previous layout for quite some time but never had the time to deal with it. I've finally had time to properly sit down long enough to tear down the old foundation and reconstruct the layout to one that I'm finally happy with. I'm hoping that the new look will motivate me to up my blogging game even more. 

As for what's been going on in my life, as I've mentioned in just about every post in the past 6 weeks, the end of my MSc programme was marked with my dissertation hand-in start of September. It's been a whirlwind of a year and definitely one that's concreted my 'nerd status', as I'm one of those weird people that genuinely enjoyed spending time in the dusty corner of the library, researching and writing my dissertation. So now what? I have the big dream of doing a PhD at one of the world's best academic institutions so the application process isn't going to be a simple feat. Hopefully, the gap between now and then won't be too big as I'm terrified of the world outside the ivory tower. 

I've been in London for over two years now and as much as I love the city, it's time to take a break. I'm moving back to Taiwan at the end of the month. So many things have happened while I've been at the heart of the international city. This blog has grown and so have I. I've met people that mean more to me than I ever thought possible, I've fallen in love and I've had my heart broken. I've sort of figured out what I want to do with my life, and I've learned that it is possible to be happy without constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall. It's been an intense two years, and it's definitely going to be weird moving back home after living alone. But I think that I need this change of environment to settle down a bit before I start the next chapter of my life. 

So going back, what does this mean for SoaD? For starters, I'm definitely going to continue blogging. I have some posts queued up, hopefully enough till I figure out the blogging photo situation. I'm thinking of expanding SoaD and including more lifestyle posts, and if you guys are interested, maybe touch on some cultural topics (for example: why my mum and a large part of Taiwanese society thinks that red lipstick screams man-eater)? I have some ideas but let me know what you guys think. 

Right now, I'm postponing packing and sorting out all the stuff I've accumulated in London. It's quite weird to look at what's essentially been the last two years of my life being packed in boxes, ready to ship half way across the world. I've been trying to spend as much time as I can with friends before it turns into a long-distance friendship with a 7/8 hour time difference. 

I don't usually like change, but I surprisingly, haven't been dreading this as much as I thought I would. I think it's just time. It doesn't mean I'm not sad to say goodbye to the people and the city, but I need this change of pace. It's been a good two years and I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything in the world. Thank you, London.