Story 32 of 52 /// Bittersweet

The coming six months we’ll be getting ready to go back home. My mom is stressing out already. My dad is wrapping up his project in three months, and most likely he’ll have to fly out to his new job for a few weeks already. We can’t leave yet, as my sister is sitting for her IB DP exams in May. She is super happy that we’ll all be going home.

I found out during the Summer vacation. I just knew something was up. My parents first did not want to tell me, as the decision was not final yet. Last year we also thought we were going home, only to find out at the last moment that my dad could stay longer at his project. I’d rather have gone home then, as now I’ll be entering secondary school in its second year. Everyone will already know each other. But I do understand how this is a much better arrangement for my sister’s graduation.

Now I can’t wait to go home. My best friend left last summer, and I did not bother with making new friends this school year. It would have been for one year only, it was not worth it. All that free time had its bittersweet benefits: I made huge progress on my home language studies, which will make it easier to understand my teachers and lessons back home.

About this Series

This story is part of our 52 Stories initiative: a collection of real, lived experiences from global families and international children navigating life across borders. Every story in this series is based on true events, highlighting both the beautiful breakthroughs and the complex, often hidden challenges of the relocation journey.

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