I'll Be Home For Christmas

This post was written last December, while visiting my family

in Toronto, Canada. I've been particularly homesick this year,

 as I won't be spending Christmas in my beloved hometown, 

where my daughter, Liberty, is now living.

 Hope you enjoy my sweet holiday memories 

 of Christmases Past!

Source

Home. 

For anyone who shares their time, albeit, 

unequally, between two beloved countries,

 cities, even villages, home is sometimes

 a difficult place to locate.

Crete

For friends who have visited before, you know that for the past 24 years or so, Crete, my husband's place of birth, has been our permanent residence. We live in a tiny village in 

the countryside, having moved from the city last January.  

It's breathtakingly beautiful, where lush rolling hills are

lined with vineyards and dotted with orange and lemon groves, 

only to be surrounded by snowy mountains 

in the winter months.

Today, I am writing to you from my hometown, 

Toronto, Canada. It's been a while since I've posted, 

as we arrived just over two weeks ago

 and it has been non-stop: 

visiting with family and friends, 

shopping for seasonal items, 

and adjusting to the cold Canadian winter 

(which I long for when I'm in Crete!).

  But mostly, we're here so that my daughter

 can find work, as Greece's unemployment

 rate is at an all time high,  especially 

for young people under 25, of whom more 

than half are without work.

Toogood Pond, Unionville, Ontario, Canada

And so, here we are, 'across the pond'! 

My sister and her family live in Unionville,

 a charming little hamlet just outside Toronto,

 which boasts a pond all its own, 

home to various wildlife like the 

famous Canada Geese, ducks and fish. 

It is in this quaint and cozy suburban village,

 where we have the pleasure of taking

 long, leisurely walks around 

neighbourhoods nestled 

in forest-like landscapes,

 the foliage still glowing with

 memories of fall in the afternoon sun. 

The other day, on a stroll amid waterfalls 

and marshlands, I stood on a  bridge, 

gazing into the still flowing, 

not yet frozen water below, 

wondering what the future may 

hold, and thankful for good health,

and loved ones, near and far, in the present.

 Longing, and belonging, are perhaps 

one and the same, when you know and love

 two countries that can be found on a map,

 and people closest to you,

 deep in your heart.

Thanks for visiting!

xo

Poppy

All images: Poppy View,

except 2nd from top

 

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