On my first post here I mentioned that I'm living 6,468 miles away from my home town. And most of my family. And 99% of my friends. It's hard, you know. Although I try not to think too much about it, there are days when it hits me and I get sad and lonely all over. It does get better with time (it's been 5 years) but I feel like there will always be a huge part of me left behind.
It could be worse. My great-grandfather family moved from Italy to Brazil in the early 1900s. The ship journey took months. It was uncomfortable. They didn't know what to expect. They probably never saw pictures of their soon-to-be home town. If they wanted to let their friends know how they were doing in the new life, they had to write letters and wait many moons for a reply. Photography was expensive.
Now I can call my sister anywhere with my cellphone to learn about her next adventure. I can video chat with my best friend so she can show me her new baby girl. I can follow my brother's photostream. I can even take a virtual stroll through Sao Paulo via Google Maps street view. And, money/work allowing, I can simply board a plane, watch a couple of movies, read some pages of my book, sleep a little, and I'm there.
After all, it doesn't matter if we're living in the 1900s or in the 21st century: a hug is still a hug.
Eu sei exatamente como você se sente, apesar de eu estar um pouco mais perto da minha família: eu deixei Sergipe para vir para o Rio. Ainda assim é difícil e eu sinto como se nunca mais eu fosse ter amigos de verdade ou uma casa cheia num aniversário ou outra ocasião qualquer. Eu te acompanho desde o Garotas e fico feliz quando você menciona a Flávia ou a Clarissa no flickr ou no twitter (parece stalkeamento, mas não é! eu só gosto de ler o que você escreve e das suas fotos haha), por que me dá esperança de manter as amizades mesmo à longa distância.
O blog novo está ótimo!
Em tempo: você se incomoda de ter comentários em português?
Abraços!
Posted by: Beatriz M. | January 13, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Oi Beatriz! Obrigada por sua leitura! Pode comentar em Português sim, sem problemas. :-)
Posted by: Viviana | January 13, 2011 at 10:59 AM
i can relate. we just moved in to san francisco from spain. on the first nights i used to dream that we had left our daughter in spain and i couldn't see her in 5 months...
(thank god it was just a dream!)
i am really thankful for technology: i can video chat with the family and the fact that there's a continent and an ocean between us seems less important.
i'm looking forward to seeing them soon, though :)
Posted by: silvia | January 13, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Hi Silvia! Thank you for stopping by. I totally understand the dream. I brought my cat from Brazil and I had this constant dream that I was still on the flight, that she got lost during transfers, that they gave me another cat when I got to my destination... It's crazy how much that trip is burned into our brains!
Posted by: Viviana | January 13, 2011 at 11:23 AM
We are a military family and have moved every 3 years for the past 12 years, so I know the feeling! We are moving again in Feb. to Northern California.
Posted by: Amanda-ThriceBlessed | January 19, 2011 at 08:09 PM
This post made me tear up a bit :*(
My sweet husband and I were moved to Colorado two years ago because of his job, and I miss my parents and 3 little sisters so much at times that it makes my heart ache. As it happens, Christmas 2010 was the first holiday we've spent away from family EVER!
What I'm trying to say is that I definitely know the feeling! I think the one thing that helps more than just about anything else is my sweet Chihuahua Macy. Idk what I'd do without her! Whenever I'm missing my family, I hold her tight and feel better instantly! I'm sure you're the same way with your sweet kitties!
Hang in there!!
Posted by: Brooke | January 27, 2011 at 09:13 PM
Amanda, I can only imagine how hard it is being a military family. I hope Northern California treats you well. Good luck!
Brooke, thank you so much for your kind words. I too moved because of my husband work. I totally agree with you about the pets and how they make you feel at home. We brought our sweet Sofia with us from Brazil and I can't imagine how much harder it would be without her around. Now we have a second cat, Figaro, and they really give me a sense of family. :-)
Posted by: Viviana | January 28, 2011 at 01:39 PM