Missing Home

One of the toughest parts of living la vida Lanka is homesickness.  I don’t get it a lot because 1) I actually love living here, 2) I can cook Filipino food here and 3) ultimately my home is really with my hubby – so when I’m with him, I’m at home.  But you know what I mean… family and friends, and everything else you grew up with is no longer where you are. 

The emotional cycle started on Valentine’s day.  I was in Bangkok for a business trip and serendipitously one of my very good friends was in Bangkok as well.  We met up and I just realized how I missed him and their barkada (close friends).  They are actually hubby’s barkada but back home we go out often – eating out, going to “clubs” and singing our hearts out upto the wee hours of the morning.  When we moved here, well, they were not around.  We have friends but reaching the barkada level is a process.  It was a fun “Valentine’s Date” – we talked about our lives, how our friends are back home (or what he could remember since everyone’s been uber busy) and how the whole fact of catching up happens abroad. Somehow the whole scenario just made us feel old. 

Hubby and I with my funny Valentine during one of the crazy Manila nights

Then yesterday, it really hit me.  Because “my favorite couple” also in the same barakada got married and we were not there.  It just made me miss home a little bit more.  They were not the only close friends we had who got married during the time we are away – or celebrated something significant.  Heck even in our own wedding our family was incomplete.  But I digress. 

Hubby and I with J & M on one of our party nights!

Being away and missing things like this made me feel like I’m missing out on my friends / family’s lives.  Especially those who mean a lot to us.  I’m sure we will miss a couple more.  But I guess that’s all part of growing up.

So to R – thank you for being my funny Valentine! 

And to J & M – we really regret not being there for your special day… when you guys have been with us on our special days… emceeing, singing and just making the party wilder.  But trust that we were there in spirit and praying for an awesome marriage! 

To all our friends back home, we miss you guys!  I’m sure you miss us too!  Haha!  But really, we hope you’ll also come and visit us and see what it’s like livin’ la vida Lanka.