In the last 15 months I’ve said goodbye more than I can remember and more than can be healthy. I said goodbye to my friends and family in Australia before coming to Canada, goodbye to my friends when I moved from Vancouver to Calgary, goodbye to some of my Au Pair friends who were returning home and then again to my loved ones in Australia. I am terrible at goodbyes and It’s been hard for me each time, but the hardest by far is saying goodbye to my Host Family here in Calgary.

All the words in the world will never explain how grateful I am for each of them. From grandparents, cousins, sisters, aunties and uncles, they all welcomed me into their family with love and support. It may not seem like a lot to them but for someone who had never been away from home for more than 2 weeks, it meant the world.

I remember before I arrived in Canada I would think about all the things I would teach my host children. I’ve helped them learn to read, to support them and always tried my best to be cheerful and sensitive to their needs and wishes. I knew I would grow from this experience but never did I imagine how much my Host Family would in return, teach me. “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other.”

The  last 12 months has gone by so fast and I find myself wishing it wasn’t over but I remind myself what the great ‘Winnie the Pooh’ said “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” I remember the adventures I’ve been on, the memories we’ve shared, the friends I’ve made and It makes me smile. I know that I will make more memories and more friends in the next chapter of my journey and this last year will always hold such a special place in my heart.

“Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you, until we meet again. “

I love you to the moon and back!
Lots of love and always remember, to be present in life.
Leticia xx

Below are a couple of songs that accurately depict the feels I’m feeling !!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Landslide