Post by @drenorquay

I’ve spent my entire 20s living abroad in two different countries. I’ve laid roots, built communities, and made a life for myself in places that once felt completely foreign. And every time I’ve had to go back to Canada, I’ve felt a little more unsure of where I’m actually meant to be. I’ve tied myself to so many places for so many different reasons, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever feel truly settled anywhere. I’ve realized though, that somewhere along the way, it wasn’t the places that became home to me, it was the people. But those people are now scattered across different countries, different cities, and different chapters of my life. And they all know different versions of me. And I can’t exist in all of them at once. I think that’s the part that hurts the most. No matter where I choose to be, there will always be people I love, pieces of myself, and a version of my life that I’m leaving behind somewhere else. But maybe that’s also what’s so beautiful about it. How lucky am I to have built lives in different corners of the world that are this hard to leave? Maybe that’s the part of living abroad no one really prepares you for. #livingabroad #movinghome #LifeInTheNetherlands