Some days being an Ex-patriot living abroad are better than others. You hear about all the fun things going on at home. People (mainly my Father) brag about the better weather, and believe me in the Winter time the weather in Austin is better. Family gatherings occur. School events and sporting events take place. Girl Scout Cookies go on sale. You hear about them all and get the highlights of everything and you hang on every word.
You remind yourself that you are having the experience of a lifetime. I wouldn't trade anything my family is going through right now. We have bonded together more in the last 7 months than could be imagined. We will have inside jokes for YEARS that no one else will get. We have discovered biking, the Korean language and we will be the family to beat at charades forever (we can act out anything!). We are seeing parts of the world most people only get to see pictures of. We even got to stand on the Great Wall of China, spend Christmas in the tropics and we have had the opportunity to experience Korean culture on a very different level.
Some days though, are much harder than others. When there is a family emergency and all you can do is hear about it. You think of all the things you could be doing to help... but can't. Jumping on a plane isn't always the answer when there are only a few flights per week and they are usually booked for weeks in advance. So you do what you can. You update friends and you call your family for info sometimes way too late at night their time because the time difference is CRAZY and you just can't wait. You ask questions that sometimes seem silly. You spend way too much time checking Skype hoping someone is online that knows something....anything.
Finally, you remind yourself over and over that you won't take certain things for granted ever again: family, even my siblings;
beloved pets, I didn't realize how much Daisy and Dagwood keep me company during the day;
best friends, and you know who you are!! as well as all my other friends;
holiday traditions, I'll never miss another Arbor Day;
house decorations, I didn't expect to miss the hassle of re-decorating but I do, for all the seasons and holidays out there (yes, even Arbor Day);
and your own backyard, I even miss the garden weeds and all, having coffee outside, and grilling!!
It's not possible to list all the things I miss, or list all the things I will do once again upon my return, whenever that is. But I know I have grown as a person from this experience. Hopefully for the better...
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