Back in Blog!
Well, hello there. I have been missing writing in this blog, I take this opportunity to start on doing it again. It feels releasing.
I was supposed to write about volunteering as well, since that is what I have been doing these days, feeding my Instagram account. But things have turned around a bit, and I think I feel like writing about how you deal homesickness. This will be an opinion but, if you agree or disagree, you can message me, and we can share stories.
I am from Ecuador, a small, loving country in Latin America. I used to live with my parents, my grandma, my sister and two dogs. We are close and even though my dad was proud of me, he could not help to be sad because I was leaving home, which is understandable. I am the older sister and cousin – I have 8 cousins – and I will all miss them a lot. I will not be able to see the little ones grow, and I will be missing Emily’s “quinceañera” – a festivity we have when a girl turns 15 years old –. My sister soon will be coming to Europe to study her bachelor in Portugal, so I think I will be able to see her more often. I have been missing my mom and dad a little because we used to do some things together back home. They have me a journal so we can each write stuff that happens, and we can share it and read it when we meet again. I know, a bit cheesy, but I cherish those kinds of actions.
And here is the main reason for me to write this, my dogs. Sabbath has been with us since last December when we adopted her from a shelter. She is very loving and playful little dog, and she got along with Harry easily. I have had Harry since 2009, when he was three weeks old. He was never a normal dog; his personality was a bit strange but lovely though. Two days ago, exactly one week after leaving, they called me to tell me that Harry passed away. He was 11 years old, and he was not feeling very well. He had been in treatment since January, but I guess he could not handle it anymore. And that is why I started to feel homesick, thinking about that if I had been there, I could have hold him one last time. Holding my family as well, comforting ourselves for our lost.
The very first day I did not catch too much sleep, I simply could not, I was only thinking about him. And it is ok to feel like that. I was not able to eat, was not hungry at all. Received my classes in zombie mode. Everything was meaningless and that is how you feel when you lose someone in your family, he was family to us. Yesterday I went for a walk, I was only walking and walking with no direction and no destination, only walking to clear my head. I guess that helped me, because when I got home, took a shower, and felt a little better.
What I am trying to say now, is that despite you miss a family, friend, pet, anything, you should let your emotions flow and not keep them inside. It is always good to feel, and to distract our minds too. If you feel like missing home, you can always call there, maybe not a call that takes to long, maybe just to see their faces and let them know that, even in the distance, you have each other’s back. There is not a recipe on how you should handle homesickness, but it sure helps to talk, walk, and distract our minds. You can always contact me if you need someone to talk to, you know, always here.
Nathaly
