Picking up the threads.........

One of the comments made quite often to me in the days running up to our move to Spain was that, with technology, keeping in touch with friends and family has never been easier. And in a way, this is true. The internet is a great way to share photos and experiences, to chat to people and do it in a very inexpensive way. Even when we lived in areas where the internet was difficult to access from home, there was always bars and cafes we could go to and have a drink while using their computers.

But, I did find that very quickly I was losing touch with that feeling of being part of peoples lives. I felt I was sitting on the outside reading about it, but not actually sharing it with them.

It was something I struggled with.

My new friends in Spain told me it got easier with time, I actually found it got harder with time and each time I visited the UK, it was harder for me to get on a plane and go back.

Moving back after 3 years meant that I had to pick up the threads of those friendships again, catch up on the changes that had happened while we'd been away. Somehow, not sharing the changes and events meant they hadn't really registered with me even though I had been kept up-to-date with emails, photos, phone calls and visits.

It was just not the same.

It's this type of thing that you can't anticipate how you'll handle it. I was surprised how much it mattered to me. I was making new friends in Spain and meeting nice people but somehow, I missed my old friends and family being close by too much.

After 18 months back in the UK, I feel as if I have caught up with those missing years.