Feeling Homesick
Posted on 17. Nov, 2008 by Laura-Jane - Whimfield in Inspirations, Personal
Here lies a sad spot in our yard. You see, not long ago this sad, barren spot was a makeshift RV parking spot.
See? Look! RV in the (once-green) yard!
And who was staying in this RV, you ask?
Parents!
Yes, they tootled their way across the entire Canadian countryside from coast-to-coast and ended up on our green grass.
My parents are planners. They manage to pack a lot of living into 365 days per year. While my schedule can only seem to handle about one outing per week (if that), they happily gallivant around the globe, hold dinner parties, take in cultured affairs, read interesting books, run companies, and still manage to be phenomenal parents to our large brood.
I didn’t seem to inherit their skills in efficiency and productive multi-tasking, but that’s okay. We love each other and celebrate each others’ differences.
Two paragraphs ago (see, up there!) I mentioned that they were planners. Indeed, they are.
In 2006, when Cameron and I started to get serious about maybe moving from BC to PEI, my parents had already planned to drive from West-to-East coast in their RV in the year 2008. In other words, they were planning on coming to PEI before we even knew that we were going to move here.
When Cameron and I left BC in 2007, my parents waved goodbye from their driveway, mouthing, “We’ll see you in 2008 when we come in our RV!!”
And Cam and I drove away in the infamous red Landcruiser, me crying, crying, crying. (I’d never been away from home like this before, you see.)
I wasn’t sure how home-sick I was going to feel moving 6 000 kilometres away from everyone I know. I was worried that I just wouldn’t be able to handle being so far away from everyone I loved. I love my family. They are my people, my friends, my dear, dear loves. They care. They call. They write. They hug. They support. They smile. They get me. When they look at me they make me feel special. Parents, siblings, almost-in-law-people-who-aren’t-actually-inlaws-but-they-are-all-the-same (ahem, Cam’s parents is what I’m trying to say here), they all wish me well, treat me lovely-like, and I to them. (Or I try anyway!) I am a lucky person. How or why I got to be so lucky I will not know. Perhaps in a previous life I gave away bread to hungry people.
As mentioned, it was hard for me to drive away from my family when we left BC to move to PEI, but I took comfort in knowing when the next visit was going to happen. Something about the fact that they were already planning a visit made our move seem okay to me. Something about knowing exactly when and where I’d see them again made it so much easier to say goodbye. (Note that I wrote “easier”, not “easy”.)
And how was our 2008 visit?
Delightful. Highlights included:
Putting parents to work!
Dad built shutters and exterior window frames, they both hauled oodles and oodles of firewood for us, and they encouraged us to clean up our terribly messy yard. Thanks to them, our yard is no longer littered with old asphalt shingles. Thank you, thank you.
Food, food, glorious food!
In my world, what is even more delightful than having people help with labourious jobs is having people cook for us. And cook they did. (And do the dishes!!!)
During the days, they worked with us on projects around the house. By evening, we showed up at their RV door, smiling. They’d invite us in for appetizers, which eventually led to us eating every single dinner in their RV for nine nights. And I am talking fine dinners. Dinners involving gourmet cheeses and capers and things of that nature. (Sidebar: My parents are gone and I am eating Mr. Noodles right now.)
I know, we are horrible hosts to have had the guests feed us. BUT we don’t have a kitchen! AND I’m a terrible cook. (Do these excuses suffice?) I think we did have them in to our living room for cookies and tea once. (Am I a bad person?)
Much fun was had by all, and I loved getting to spend such stretches of time with them.
But what wasn’t quite so fun was saying goodbye. No, no fun at all.
Here they are bumping down the driveway for the last time…
Have I mentioned that I don’t like goodbyes? Well, consider it mentioned. But, I guess goodbyes aren’t quite so bad when your heart is full.
Steven Fisher
Nov 17th, 2008
That sounds like a nice visit, and I’m sure they don’t mind your lousy hosting. :)
You know, my wife used to say she was a terrible cook. I have come to realize she is actually an incredible cook. The difference? She looked up some good recipes and made them. We don’t even have a kitchen at the moment. We have a toaster oven, an electric skillet and a microwave. She picked recipes she could do with what we had.
So when you do get your kitchen back, or even when you just want to start cooking again, look up simple stuff that you can do. It’ll be better than you think.
warren
Nov 17th, 2008
I am glad you had a good visit. Being away from family is tought but htink of the adventure you’re on. It sounds like your people are great adventurers as well as planners, etc.
Certainly your families must be proud of the place you are now too! Shoot, I am proud of you and “we ain’t even kin”
Heck, if you still don’t have snow, be thankful for that too!
christy
Nov 18th, 2008
i’d like to hear clips from that island toes a’tappin CD that your dad is holding!!!
that was a great story about how they’d planned on going there before you even announced you were moving.
Andrea >> Become a consultant
Nov 18th, 2008
If it makes you feel any better, I’ve had my parents come to visit (and renovate) when I didn’t even have a bathroom!
tipper
Nov 18th, 2008
Sounds like you’ve got great parents! I know you’re sad to see them go-but I bet they’ll be back before you know it!!
Ashley
Nov 18th, 2008
Oh do I know the feeling! That is the hardest part of being far from home. It is also what makes the time that we do spend with those we love so special. The first few days are the hardest… In a week or so you’ll be back to your usual routine. I know though that it is easy to say, not as easy to live…
kazari
Nov 18th, 2008
Oh,
I know exactly that kind of heart-full. My parents came to visit recently (we are on the wrong side of the country too!), and I realised how much I missed them. So I am planning a surprise visit in a couple of weeks – well, it’s no surprise to anyone but my Mum.
I get gleeful just thinking about it!
Kerry
Nov 19th, 2008
I know how you feel! We moved here from Ontario in June, in July my daughter moved to Richmond BC and my son moved to Orillia Ontario. My parents are still in the Niagara area and my only sister lives in the Bahamas. I’m always missing someone!
Thank God for the internet and cheap long distance!
RazorFamilyFarms.com
Nov 20th, 2008
What lovely faces! So warm and loving!
No wonder you miss them!
Blessings,
Lacy
Kim
Nov 20th, 2008
You are so incredibly lucky to have such loving parents. I can imagine that you hated to see them leave.
I see they left before the snow arrived, though. Smart people!
Andrea
Nov 22nd, 2008
I’m with you.
Nothing beats loving parents and almost-in-laws who come from far to visit. Your post has inspired quite a swelling of emotion in me – and I’ve deleted a lengthy response because I realize it’s better saved for a post in my own blog! (I’ll certainly point to your post as the impetus) Thanks for sharing!
Will you two be spending Christmas with family?
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Nov 22nd, 2008
@ Andrea – We’ll be having our second Christmas alone! The first Christmas was last year, when we were staying in our car as we drove to PEI. That was fun and exciting!
But this year is going to be…strange. At home, with no family. I will miss them like crazy, but I’ll be okay. They’re in my heart, and that’s what matters. I know that sounds lame, but it’s true. :)
I can’t wait to experience a PEI Christmas-time. I plan on going for a sleigh-ride in the snow. And cutting our own tree from our own forests. And lots of good stuff like that…
Andrea
Nov 22nd, 2008
Sounds nice! I also can’t wait to be in the snow. Maybe this cozy Christmas at home will be the impetus for you to learn how to bake a scrumptious pie and cook a succulent veggie dish for your Christmas spread…?!
And yay for cutting your own tree from YOUR forest :) It will smell delicious mingled with the roaring fire in your Blaze King!
kristen fischer
Dec 3rd, 2008
aww your parents are adorable:)
Katie
Jun 4th, 2009
I stumbled upon your website a couple of days ago during my Googled search, “driving across Canada”. I live in Ontario and am moving to Vancouver in August with my husband. He’s accompanying me across the country so I can complete my Masters at UBC…
So I read your blog, describing your amazing journey with Cam…and then kept reading. I had to see what happened with your beautiful house! Before I knew it, I couldn’t stop. And here I am, over a year’s worth of blogs later, still loving your writing and wanting to read more.
I finally decided to make a post at this point, because I feel I can especially relate to your feeling of homesickness. My husband and I just returned in December from a year abroad in Australia. I accompanied him as he completed his teaching degree in beautiful Wollongong, NSW.
It was incredibly hard being so far away from family, especially since it was my first time away from home! I had those moments- craving mom’s home-cooked meals, missing watching movies with dad, the feeling of home…but oddly enough, my relationship with my parents grew stronger during our year apart. I came to appreciate them even more and still do. They’ve taken us back into their home and have helped us get back on our feet. Knowing I’ll be leaving again soon, I now find I don’t take for granted the little things…
Anyways, there wasn’t much point to this reply, other than to let you know that I find you and Cameron to be an inspiration. You are so incredibly talented and I hope this world brings you great things!
Cheers!
Laura-Jane - Whimfield
Jun 5th, 2009
Thank you Katie!!! :)
Thanks for taking a moment to say hi… Your note warms the cockles of my heart, as my own Mom would say… :)
Best of luck on your journey West and on your adventure into graduate studies…
Take good care on your trip in August,
Laura-Jane