Where the Heart Is

As part of my 50th blog I thought I might impart some wisdom. I know that on the 100th you write 100 things about yourself so for my 50th I'll share a few lessons that I've learned all in the past few days.
The first that I learned is that sitting in your house for a week straight will make you feel isolated and in a blah (hince the last post). You need to get out and get some sun daily so that you get your daily ration of vitamin D which will help you not feel so much like Gollum. That having been said the second lesson is this........ limit your time in the sun when you are inches away from the equator. Especially if you come from somewhere considerably above or below the equator. Five hours in the sun without sunscreen will leave you feeling stupid and in serious pain. I put sunscreen on my face and arms, but neglected the white parts of myself...... why, I will never really understand. My back and my legs are the same shade as a lobster and my skin is so swollen and painful that I'm afraid moving too fast in the wrong direction will cause it to split open which is both a painful and extremely disturbing thought.
My third lesson is this: I have come to understand why families have a tendency to lose touch when they move away. Being so far from family I find it hard to call everyone and keep in touch. Part of the reason is the time difference...... I am, after all, half a world away. The other reason is that it is painful. Daily I am reminded of what I miss about "home" and daily I am reminded that I miss my family. That is hard enough on it's own. Even harder is hearing their voices and being able to see their faces in my mind as I hear them talk and their surroundings........ the places that I miss..... the "home" that I miss. I find myself wanting to break down and cry after getting off the phone because I know that I won't see them any time soon and that I couldn't even if I wanted to. That may not be the reason for everyone, but I know that's the reason for me. More then anything I want my family to know that daily I wish I could see them and daily I miss them and think about how much I love them. The only thing that keeps me going is hearing my mom in my mind saying "Think of this as an adventure. You've always wanted to travel and now you are. Enjoy this time and embrace it." So I will enjoy it and try to see everything that I can so that I always have these memories, but "home" is where my heart is.