Heart strings

Has your heart ever gone away with someone you cared about while your physical self stayed put? We often say “I’m with you in spirit” to express that effect. 

Forty-one years ago I physically traveled with my parents to a place so far away, without the capacity to fully grasp why at the time, yet my heart was fully occupied in feeling the strangeness of my new surroundings. 

This week my parents went alone and a big part of me vicariously went with them. I wouldn’t say it’s jealousy, but how fun would it be to experience the adventure all over again. Of course it wouldn’t be the same. I know what to expect, what sights and sounds await. Is nostalgia to blame for prying my heart from here to there? I guess I’ll always be a missionary kid, also known as third culture kid, at heart.