It has been a long year (wow a year !!) and in that time we have had some wonderful times. Many of these fun times have been with the new friends we have made, and the main reason we have all settled so well has been due to these fabulous friends. However, I think the single hardest thing about being an expat is the knowledge that at some point soon you will need to say 'goodbye'. And for many of these goodbyes they will be forever, which is impossible to imagine. Especially when you're 6 and 8 years old.
So this time of year comes with the excitement of returning home, to the familiar, to family, to friends and all the comforts of Australia. We have been madly counting down the days and making plans with loved ones for our short time at home. But it also comes with a heavy heart of saying good -bye to people you have grown close too.
There is a saying, 'it is easier to leave, then be left' - I and genuinely think that is very true when you are the expat staying and you have many friends leaving. 'They' are moving on to a new adventure or moving home, and we are staying, dealing with the same things each day but without those close friends. It has made me realise how hard it must have been for our family when we left last year - the day to day was without us, and they were left to read of our adventures, new experiences etc but their days were much the same. I will now be feeling this when I return in August to a street very different from the one I know now.
These friendships have formed quickly - as expats we must form these friendships quickly, and sometimes they are deeper due to the fact we are all experiencing the same 'stuff' daily. For us in India, this can be our kids dealing with a new schooltogether, the hassles of shopping for food, the constant staring, dealing with the dirt, power and Mosquitos, cobras and monkeys. It's a very unique friendship.
So this time of year comes with the excitement of returning home, to the familiar, to family, to friends and all the comforts of Australia. We have been madly counting down the days and making plans with loved ones for our short time at home. But it also comes with a heavy heart of saying good -bye to people you have grown close too.
There is a saying, 'it is easier to leave, then be left' - I and genuinely think that is very true when you are the expat staying and you have many friends leaving. 'They' are moving on to a new adventure or moving home, and we are staying, dealing with the same things each day but without those close friends. It has made me realise how hard it must have been for our family when we left last year - the day to day was without us, and they were left to read of our adventures, new experiences etc but their days were much the same. I will now be feeling this when I return in August to a street very different from the one I know now.
These friendships have formed quickly - as expats we must form these friendships quickly, and sometimes they are deeper due to the fact we are all experiencing the same 'stuff' daily. For us in India, this can be our kids dealing with a new schooltogether, the hassles of shopping for food, the constant staring, dealing with the dirt, power and Mosquitos, cobras and monkeys. It's a very unique friendship.
This is our first time at permanent goodbyes and I am not coping too well. I have at least 3 close friends who will not be here when I get back in August. I had a farewell for one of the most precious ladies I could ever meet - she and her family are moving to Korea and will be sadly missed by so many. We are planning a street party on the weekend to say goodbye to two other families - I think I am in complete denial that they are actually leaving. I cannot see Sweden and The Netherlands in our travels in the next few years - sad but true.
There are promises to stay in touch, Skype regularly etc but I know that this will pass and we are unlikely to meet again. So we will stay in touch via social media and the odd email. It just seems so sad when you know it is goodbye 'forever'. I suppose I will have to look forward to all the 'Hello, I'm Susie' that are only a few weeks away when meeting all the new expats arriving.
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