“Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I miss you until we meet again.” – Jean-Joseph Henry [my husband says this all the time so it is kind of his quote]
I think it is normal to be homesick. Especially if your family is as awesome as mine and you have been away for quite some time now. Here in the U.S. anything that reminds me of home triggers a little flash of homesickness. Yesterday I got some errands done with my son and we drove by a huge billboard that invited to the annual Oktoberfest here in Connecticut. Instantly I felt a little sad thinking about my family, the food, the people, the real Oktoberfest in Munich that starts soon. I was so fortunate to have spent a huge amount of time in Germany when my son was a baby and I can say that it was one of the best experiences I have had. Having been away for almost ten years and only visiting my family once or twice a year (and I consider myself very lucky on that one as well) it was great to actually live there again. To be back there and be able to enjoy all the goods and bads. This feeling of joy and comfort being around my entire family was the best. To see all my good friends again after all this time was great too. (Hello Judith and Kirsten!) It is so much better to meet in real life even though we all have been in touch via Facebook, email and many other tools but you know what I am trying to say here. There is nothing like hugging an old friend at the Christmas Market in Coburg and crying your eyes out. 😀 Classic! In this world where everything is just so fast-paced you isolate yourself very quickly and end up losing touch to certain people if you do not work on it.
When it was time to say goodbye to my parents on July 10th I was overcome with this huge feeling of sadness. The way we said goodbye was different this time. Not like “Valley of Tears” (Frankfurt Airport) kind of crazy. It was calmer but made my heart hurt all the same. It is natural that we get older and everybody needs to go on their separate paths at some point. I cannot live with my parents for the rest of my life. I had to leave my “home-base” behind. So it is all back to good old Skype and FaceTime and tons of phone calls because I love to stay informed and connected to them and like to hear about their life, their stories, especially any major changes they go through.
This is life. We all make decisions to move in another direction – sometimes even drastically when I moved to New York. I am happy however that my family always supported me and helped me out when I needed them the most. I also know that no matter what happens, my family will always be there for me.
It does not matter where you go in the world as long as you are happy and you love the people you are with. Home is where your heart is, right? It sounds cheesy when I say I go wherever my husband goes but it is true. We will be going to Congo next and I think about it as a great opportunity as well to explore and learn new things. Has it all been worth it? Of course! Has it all been easy? Of course not! But life is not easy, especially if you think you have it all figured out and you found yourself a little routine then life throws you another curveball.
So how do I deal with my homesickness? Well, I consider myself really lucky to have my family in Germany, all alive and healthy. I can talk to them, see them and be with them. They are basically one plane ride away and I have to keep this in mind. I appreciate that I can travel and discover so many things here. And I always have to keep in mind that I chose to leave. The good part about traveling the world is to see and explore and to sort of let go of the past. When I get really really homesick I call my mom. I call her at least once a week (or emails, Skype messages etc.) and this way it is all good. I am up to date on everything, I love talking to her and we usually talk for three hours. Hab dich lieb Mama! <3 She could send me some of her world-best chicken noodle soups once in a while though. <3
You never know where life will take you. If you have been reading my blog from the beginning you know I am the perfect example. It is important to make the right choices for ourselves and go with the flow. To see things in a positive perspective and just don’t be afraid of change. You might miss out on some awesome experiences.
