Home Sweet Home
When parenting abroad there’s something magical about going back home to the UK, surrounded by my parents, my sister, and my little girl. Last week, I was there with them, feeling the familiar warmth of my childhood home. The place where my life began and part of my heart will always reside. It was a time to let go, to relax, and to soak in the joy of watching my daughter with family who love her as much as I do.
Parenting abroad has come with sacrifices. My career took me to Germany, where I built a life I truly love. But there’s always this feeling that I’ve given up quite a bit along the way. First, it was for my career, and now it’s for the life that naturally built itself around it. It’s a fulfilling life, yet I often feel the pull of home, of family, and the experiences that come so naturally when you’re close to them.
Precious Time with Family
Each visit to the UK is a reminder of the deep connections that no amount of distance can erase. For that short time, I’m able to pass some of the responsibility over to my family. I can exhale, knowing my daughter is in the loving, capable hands of my parents and sister. The joy they take in reading to her, playing with her, and sharing in her world is a kind of magic that fills me up in a way that words can barely express.
As my daughter grows, I can see the surprise and wonder in my family’s eyes as they take in her new skills, the words she’s learned, and her changing personality. Each time we visit, she’s a little more her own person, and it’s so important to me that they witness this journey.
I’ve made it one of my goals to get to the UK as often as possible so they can experience each phase of her childhood. And yet, somehow, it never feels like enough. There are still so many moments they miss. I often feel a pang of guilt every time I see them together, knowing how precious these shared times are. Making it harder and harder to leave when the trip comes to an end. Especially when my daughter asked for them once we have returned back home.
Returning to Germany and Finding Balance
Now we are back in Germany, all settling back into daily life. Here, it’s normal not to have family close by, and our lives continue. This is when I turn to my friends. Instead of family, I’ve built a circle of wonderful friends who’ve become my support system. Especially since joining the parenting abroad group, I have wanted to find friends with whom I can go on this journey. They’re the people I share life with, make memories with, and lean on when family is far away. This network means so much to me. And even though it’s never quite the same as having family around the corner, there has always been someone I can turn to.
As grateful as I am for these people – most of whom are ex-pats too – leaving my family in the UK never gets easier. No matter how often I make the trip, there’s always that tug at my heart when saying goodbye. I know I’ll carry the moments from this visit with me, each one bringing me warmth until the next time I can come home.
WIth love,
Harriet
