When I first moved abroad I thought that when I returned to visit the UK, I’d simply state that I would be somewhere or available for an period of time and people would come to see me.

From my perspective, I was travelling several thousand miles so why shouldn’t other people travel a couple of miles to see me?

But after a couple of return visits I realised I was wrong. I looked at the distance but really I was interrupting their lives. I was placing demands on their attendance by my return. If I wanted to see friends, I needed to make 95% of the effort instead of the perceived 50% I saw.

So as I prepare to return to the uk for Christmas, I’m aware that I’ll need to go to see everyone, even after travelling thousands of miles first.