Returning to England After 20 Years in Bosnia
A Retiree’s Honest First Impressions
It’s been two years since I was last back in England.
After more than two decades living in a quiet village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I’ve arrived back in the country where I was born, and within the first twelve hours something felt different.
In this video I share my first impressions of returning to England after so long away. The pace of life, the memories, the nostalgia of travelling across London again, and the strange feeling of being both familiar with a place… and yet somehow a stranger in it.
My journey started at Banja Luka Airport, via Munich, and eventually into London before heading out to Woodcote in South Oxfordshire, where my daughter lives.
Along the way there were:
• red kites circling in the sky
• a proper British takeaway curry (my first in two years!)
• reflections on what it means to build a life somewhere else
• and the realisation that sometimes the place you come from is no longer the place you belong.
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to return “home” after many years away, you might recognise some of these thoughts.
Have you ever gone back to a place you once called home and felt like a visitor?
If you’re new here, I’m David. I moved to Bosnia over twenty-six years ago and never really left. This Substack is about my retirement, daily life, culture and what it’s actually like living in this often misunderstood country.
Thanks for being here and for following the journey.