Settling in and unpacking. It feels somewhat strange, surreal
even, to be back in New Orleans. Yet at the same time, it feels so
right. You begin to realize just how much you miss a place, and how much
it means to you to finally have a chance to return. Yet the familiarity
isn't quite what it used to be. Things changed so drastically after
Hurricane Katrina, and the losses we all suffered here left a lasting
impact that will probably never fully heal. Memories and wishing for
things to be the way they used to be.
What is harder is not having my mate by my side, but instead
separated by such a vast distance. The distance we fought so hard to
overcome in the early years of our relationship, only occasionally
getting to visit each other during holidays. Otherwise all our
interaction was online, or over the phone.
When we were finally able to move in together 8 years ago, we didn't
want to look back on the time we were forced to be apart. We never
thought we'd eventually end up right back where we were, through no
fault of our own and not for lack of trying our hardest to prevent it
from happening. Yet here we are again. Me in Louisiana, Mike in New
Jersey. While there are certain good things about being home for both
of us and being able to see family again, they do not realize there were
unspoken reasons that we originally left home in the first place. I
really don't think any of them can comprehend how deeply this has
effected us.
We'll hope for the best as we journey down this road.
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