The United Kingdom will always hold a special place in my heart, it was the first country I migrated to, the one that opened the doors for me to leave Colombia legally and begin a new chapter of my life. I lived in Manchester for a year, and during that time I learned, grew, and discovered so much that it changed me forever.

During my stay there, I had the chance to travel across the four countries that make up the UK. In Scotland, in Edinburgh, I walked through cobblestone streets full of history and visited castles made of grey stone, tall, quiet, and powerful, with sharp rooftops and Gothic windows that look straight out of a storybook. I followed the Harry Potter trail, including the famous cemetery where J.K. Rowling found inspiration for her characters’ names, and of course, Platform 9¾ in London, a place where fantasy becomes real. For Harry Potter lovers, it’s pure magic. Seeing it all, feeling it, was like stepping directly into the book.

In Northern Ireland, visiting Belfast and seeing the shipyards where the real Titanic was built was beyond impressive. The street art tour was equally powerful, full of murals telling stories of conflict and hope, art that rises from old wounds and turns them into color, absolutely incredible.

And Wales, Wales took my breath away. Those green landscapes, the horses roaming freely with little coats to keep them warm, the sheep dressed as if they too were ready for winter, and those wooden houses that look frozen in time. These castles, still standing proud, were the first I had ever seen in my life. Everything I’d only watched on television was suddenly right there before my eyes, it was simply unforgettable.

And then, England, oh, England. London, Liverpool, Bristol, York, each city vibrates with its own energy. Live music in the bars, drum and bass echoing through the streets, street art bursting with color, the markets, the cafés, and that soft grey magic in the air that makes everything feel deeper, more real. For those of us who love a bit of twilight, it’s paradise. There’s something in the English atmosphere that captures you, culture in every breath, history in every step, and art that feels alive.

The United Kingdom taught me about diversity, about openness, and about the beauty of sharing life with so many different ways of being and thinking. It was my first leap, my first home away from home, and a piece of my heart will forever stay there, between the rain, the art, and that quiet northern light.