Dear Girl Living Far From Home,
I wish someone had told me these things. I wish someone had told me that when the excitement of moving to a new place wears off and homesickness comes to greet you at your bedside, that you would have days like this. Days where you would long for your mom’s homemade spanish rice and hearing your dad’s really bad jokes. Nights where all you’d want is to snuggle in your childhood bed and wake up to the ruckus your little brother would make when he’d get ready for school every morning. Holidays will be the hardest because you’ll be wondering what your family is doing and if they feel your absence the way you feel there’s. There will be times where you will wonder if you made the right decision. It started off as a great idea, as an amazing new adventure you couldn’t wait to embark on, but you’re probably wondering if you heard God right or if you were led by emotion.
I promise you, you have no idea about all the amazing things that will come out of this if you choose to stay. You have no idea about all the lifelong friends you will make that will become like family, the coffee shop that will become another home, where the barista knows your name and your order by heart, the neighbors kids who will always come over just to greet you, the dinner a coworker will make you when they know it’s been a while since you’ve had a good home cooked meal, the people that will tell you they’re glad you’re here because someway, somehow, you’ve blessed them.
It’s okay to miss home. It’s okay to have days where all you want to do is cry because you long for your old life. It’s okay to want to stay cooped up in your house all day and watch reruns of your favorite show. That’s okay for today, but tomorrow, tomorrow I want you to wake up ready to plant roots. I want you to go find a coffee shop to fall in love with, to invite a coworker out for dinner, to explore parts of the town you have yet to visit, to unpack your bags, hang up some decor and start making this place your own. Because you, you’re going to do incredible things right here in this place and soon, I promise you, this city, these people will become home.