My family is coming to visit me at college in Florida. I went back home to South Africa over the winter break only for four weeks but it was a much needed time to go home and see my family and animals. You don’t realize how much they actually mean to you until you’re far away and don’t see them for months. My mom and sister were in America with me from April to September in 2021, they left just as I started college and I was by myself till December and that has been the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing my family.
I went home in December because I needed to. I needed to have the comfort of my home, my family and animals although it was short I did not take it for granted. Now, it has been almost two months since I haven’t seen them and my mother and sister are on their way to visit. They just landed in Miami. I didn’t realize how excited I was until I was anxiously waiting for them to knock at the door. The hardest part for me is that I am so far away from my sister. I don’t know if this happens to anyone else with their siblings but with me and my sister we get along better when we are apart. But then we cannot wait to see each other. Now that I think of it I’m by myself in a completely different country and it makes me realize how strong I really am and how much I have accomplished and that we can all achieve great things.
Although I haven’t even seen them yet, I’m dreading the goodbyes when they go back home. But while they’re here I must not think about saying goodbye but rather just cherish every moment I have with them. I can show my family around my new life, my new world. They get to meet my new friends and see what I’ve been up to for the past few months. I hope that everyone else who is studying far away from the family gets to experience this one day when their family comes to visit them!
Some things I have thought of to help keep my family busy while they visit are, obviously, spending some days at the beach or at the pool. Also, visiting friends and other fellow South Africans that are here in Florida it’s so nice. Other things you can do with your family it to go visit the Japanese Gardens, go play mini golf, go bowling or go to the movies. Although you can do these activities in many other places, we’re from a small town in South Africa so we do not have access to these often.
This is just my take on how I plan on spending my time with my family. I know it is very difficult for some people to be far away from their families for a long time. I hope your loved ones come to visit you, like mine have come to visit me.