To The Homesick
As taken from my failed attempt at Wordpress account, Entry 01.
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Dear Friend,
This blog has actually been weeks in the making. For days now, I've been trying to write my first letter to open this blog to the public. You see, the theme of this blog is all about letters. The problem was, it is rather difficult to write a letter without knowing who it is addressed to. And then, I thought of you.
We're currently living in a foreign country, where the culture and lifestyle is not something we're used to. We're constantly surrounded by different people, whose backgrounds and customs we may not understand. When all the excitement and adventure dies down, we're left with a distinct sense of longing - for a bit of peace, a bit of calm, a bit of something familiar which we might have taken for granted and now miss dearly. In short, we're homesick.
Before I go further, let me tell you now, this letter is not meant to be some form of advice - unsolicited and most probably going to be ignored. I won't tell you how to get rid of homesickness, or justify why you shouldn't be homesick. In fact, this letter is to tell you that, I am just as homesick as you.
For me though, home is not just a place, nor is it a person. Home is a feeling.
It is a feeling of ease, a sense of comfort. It is knowing that you are perfect exactly as you are. You don't need to be wary of the people around you; you don't need to project a front to fit in with the crowd. You can sit back, relax and enjoy yourself without a care, because you have every right to. And when you're feeling down or in trouble, when you don't understand what's going on or things seem to spiral out of your control, you can take your time to breathe, reflect and regain your footing. Because at home, there is no pressure and no stress. You can simply be.
Hence, home is not confined to a place. It is not confined to a person. It is not even confined to one. It can be a place; and a person; and everything all together, all at once. In fact, you can make home right here.
I want you to know that you are welcome to be at ease here. You don't have to hide anything; I'll accept it all. You don't have to be embarrassed about doing things your way; I'd love to learn more about you and from you. We don't have to do anything to have fun; we can just hang out and enjoy our time together. And when you feel sick or down or utterly confused, you can come here; I'll be here for you.
And, you know, because we have many homes, there will be someone who wants to hear about our experiences and our adventures. That's what letters are for. So, why don't you take this time to write home about whatever you want to write about? And, to give you a push, as well as to celebrate the launch of my new blog site, I'm hosting my first ever Postcard Giveaway!
To enter, all you have to do is fill out this Rafflecopter form and answer this question: In which city am I currently doing my exchange program?
Bonus entries are also given for accomplishing any/all of the following:
- +1 "Like" the Blog Post
- +3 Subscribe to this Blog
- +1 Tweet about this Giveaway
- +1 Post about this Giveaway as a status on Facebook
- +2 "Like" In Letters on Facebook
- +2 "Hype" this Look on Lookbook
- +3 "Fan" Dominique Samantha on Lookbook
If you're as excited to enter as I am to write you a postcard, fill out this Rafflecopter form by May 31, 2012. Good luck~
As they say, "Home is where the heart is."
Sincerely,
Queza De Santi