The Hardest Part of Living Overseas

I get asked frequently, what is the hardest part about living overseas?

It’s simple. The being far away. From home, from loved ones, from special events, high school reunions, friends getting married and Sunday family dinners. We have left very large parts of our lives behind to chase these international dreams and this is the cost.

This past week we had to watch the news as the Woosley Fire in Malibu, California ripped through our families property. With no power or cell service, we were cut off from all communication for 24 hours and not knowing how they were doing was absolute torture.

Frantically scouring the latest fire maps and watching newscasters try to catch a glimpse of certain familiar areas and here we are, 3000 miles away.

It isn’t that you could change the outcome if you were closer, but you would be there when it was all said and done to help and comfort those you love. You would bring food, you would help clean, you would support in person and that is something you can’t do from far away. Sometimes it is just hard to be helpless and far away.

Our family was lucky and came away with minimal damage despite these crazy photos. It serves as a great reminder that our hearts are in so many places at once.

 There is no doubt the hardest part of living overseas is just being gone. We support in the best way we can from afar and know that our time together is that much sweeter when it finally arrives.