Nostalgia

Thanksgiving 1985

I live in China – Shanghai. It’s been a year & a half since I left the US, & I usually don’t really think about the fact that I live in another country. Daily life here is pretty much like living at home – going to work, grocery shopping, hanging out at the coffee shop.

But sometimes I get homesick. Like today. It’s the start of the holiday season at home, my favorite time of year – that time between Halloween & New Years when the air cools & the heart warms. It’s a time when I get to see my friends more often, when I travel to see my family, when I eat pumpkin pie & ginger cookies, when I share love & good times with those that are important to me. But this year I’m spending it here in Shanghai, among people who don't understand my nostalgia.

This is my paradox. I’m so fortune to be able to experience living in another country, & I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Really. But I still miss my home, especially during the holidays. It would be so nice to have both worlds in one place. Or that teleportation device I keep talking about. Now that would be perfect.