Moving away to Canada, leaving behind friends, family, pets, job and familiar place was a very big decision for me, and it's not unusual to feel homesick.
As I am an expat here, of course whenever I hang out with friends, the topic of homesickness often came out. I've found this to be the pretty common topic of conversation among expats, as no matter where you're from, you're probably missing something or somebody.
The prospect of living overseas was so great that I never considered I would be homesick of Indonesia. it's easy to say "just go home then" but when you have bills to pay and family to take care, going home when 'home' is on the other way of the world, is not easy.
I was born raised in Malang, East Java of Indonesia. and of course I love Malang more than anywhere else, Lol ( I guess everyone loves the place where they were born )
Back in 2008, I had to leave Malang and go to work in Batam. Batam is tourism city, located in Sumatra, Riau Island, western of Indonesia.
and since then, I didn't have so much time to go home to my hometown, my boss (then) kept me busy working most of the time, Lol. For some reasons, I really loved my job, and batam become my second home. But, as I was born and raised in Malang, it stays in my brain that no other nicer place to stay than Malang, no other food is better than Malang's food. at that time I was confused, my parents always asked me to go back and find new job in Malang, closer to all family. But I refused because I loved my job that I don't know how to explain. till about 2 years ago in beginning of 2018, my fiance ( now husband ) he told me to move down to Canada, because he's tired of having long distance relationship, oh well maybe he was tired of paying tickets to come and see me, Lol.
Moving abroad is complicated, the experience can be thrilling, energizing, and eye opening, but it can be also incredibly challenging in a number of ways that go for beyond learning to cope with the different culture.
I long to ease my homesickness, but don't get me wrong, I love living in Canada, even with those immigration processes, feeling cut from my regular support system in Indonesia and being apart from my Indonesian roots, I would change a thing.
❤️ Lily
xoxo