I’ve now been living abroad (in Hong Kong) for five years and a whole lot has changed since I first moved here. Thankfully, the one thing that has remained constant is my wonderful family. I’ve grown a heck of a lot over these past years and have learned so much about myself and the world around me. While I’ve always been close with my parents, moving half way around the world has certainly changed a few things. I can never thank my parents enough for everything they’ve done for me, so here is a little ode to them in the form of five things I’ve realized about family after living abroad for five years.
5. FaceTime makes the distance bearable
Living abroad in the age of smartphones certainly makes things a lot easier. Whether it’s a quick FaceTime chat on my way home from dinner (what I refer to as “my walk and talk”), or sending a few random messages and photos throughout the week, I’m pretty darn grateful that there are so many easy ways to keep in touch with my family. I ritually FaceTime with my parents every Sunday night (morning in Canada) to have a proper catch-up. Whether we have meaningful things to talk about or not, it’s nice having that routine to check in on each other just to say hi.
4. Their never-ending support, near and far
Whether it was packing my life up to move to Hong Kong, scrambling to find a flat in only 10 days after landing, or starting up this blog, my family has always been there to give me guidance and support (not to mention listen patiently as I complained and vented about all of the above). I can’t thank them enough for their willingness to support me near and far, and through the highs and lows of these past five years.
3. My mom is my best friend
I’ve had my fair share of “best friends” throughout my life, but the only person who has stuck by me through thick and thin is my mom (well, my dad too, but it’s just not the same for a daughter :P). She is the person I go to whenever I have news to share, or just need some life advice on how to be an adult (which is basically every week). My mom is a great mother, an inspiring role model, a comedian, the most outgoing and charismatic person I’ve ever met, beyond generous, incredibly supportive, beautiful on the inside and out, and my very best friend. I truly feel like I won the daughter lottery in life.
2. I’m still their “little girl”
I’m not sure if it’s because I live abroad, but whenever I go back to visit my family, I get the “little girl” treatment. If you’ve lived abroad, you probably know what I’m referring to: your parents will make you lunch and dinner, they’ll ask what you want from the grocery store, they stock the kitchen cupboards with all your favorite foods before you arrive (in my case, it was 10 bags of Sweet Chili Heat Doritos!), they willingly lend you their car, and the list goes on and on.
On the other hand, when I’m abroad and tell them I’m not feeling well, I get a dozen questions including, “have you gone to the doctor yet?”. Sometimes I question whether they think I’m “adult enough” to take care of myself (which at times, I also wonder), I remind myself that they’re only asking because they’re concerned and care about their “little girl”.
1. My family are the most important people in my life
When you pack up your life and move abroad, you leave a whole lot of stuff behind (some of which you’re probably better off without). As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that my family is one of the few constants in my life: they don’t break up with you, they don’t ditch you for new friends, and they certainly don’t stop staying in touch after you move away. At the end of the day, I’ve only got one family, so I’m damn well going to make sure they know just how important and loved they are at every opportunity I get.
How did your relationship with your family change when you moved abroad?
