Some things about living abroad suck

Actually this title is a falsehood, in fact there is a lot of stuff about living abroad that sucks. Most of this is related to being so far away from friends and family.  You miss every day things like family get-togethers or spontaneous dinners with friends. You miss out on being able to see how kids are growing and changing. Every time I speak online to my niece she is saying new words and doing cool stuff that she didn't do last time. Just yesterday she introduced me to her new stuffed friend, Toni. But only after yelling dramatically, "Tooooonnnniiiiiii." 

 Sometimes I am able to push to the back of my mind these small things (because if I don't I get too depressed). It is the trade off of living overseas. You have to give up being there for every single, small event. What really kills me though is missing out on the big things, the life changing things. Today is a prime example of that. Today my best friend gets married.

 A love story

 No, I am not going to tell you the story of the couple (although it is sweet). This is the story (abridged edition) of how my friend Erica and I met freshman year at CMU and then survived: a sorority, studying abroad in Chile, living together in various random situations, being attacked by bats, too many games of Thunderstruck, tailgating, Marty's, Tuesdays at the Bird (I say survived these things since I sometimes wonder how we made it out alive), all before graduating from college and beginning our real lives. We have been long distance friends for a long time now. I moved to North Carolina and then Spain. She moved to Texas and Arizona before heading back to Michigan. We are pros at staying in touch and keeping each other updated. She played a big part in my wedding and served as my witness, making the actual license legal. And today she is getting married and I won't be there. Prime example of why living abroad sucks!

 Pictorial evidence
White trash party?
Poop on the lawn
Senior send-on
Surviving the B
Pirate party
Dena's wedding
My big day
All the best

 Though I am super bummed to be so far away on Erica's big day I know that she will be a beautiful bride. I want to say Congratulations and that I will be thinking about her and Ernie this afternoon. I wish them all the best today and as they continue their lives together! Love you guys!!

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 16, 2013 at 3:55 PM

    Um, might I say that you two look very much alike? The resemblance is uncanny! Living abroad mostly means that you are miles away from your loved ones and are missing out on very important lifetime milestones, like your best friend’s wedding. Today, most of us are able to compensate for this, at least virtually, through Skype and Facebook. At the very best, it helps us to maintain a virtual presence, but I’d very much like to be with my loved ones instead. Maybe if you can find the time, you can schedule a week to go home.

    Rachal Dworkin @BestLawAssociates.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AllieOctober 17, 2013 at 8:24 AM

      I think spending so much time together made us begin to look similar! We dressed the same, kept our hair the same so I can see what you mean about the resemblance.

      I was lucky enough that day to be able to iMessage on our iPhones and then Facetime in while she was getting dressed which was awesome. I at least was able to wish her the best. Like you say, Thank goodness for technology!

      Delete

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