To say goodbye

Last night I was listening to Kristina från Duvemåla. It's a musical made from the epic books about people migrating to the new world from Sweden in the late 1800's.

The wife Kristina, hesitated to leave her home and there was so many unknowns waiting her, even though she lost her daughter the last winter in Sweden due to very harsh conditions and lack of food it was still a very hard decision for her leaving it all behind.

She knew, leaving her parents and all her friends meant she would never ever see them again and the only way to communicate would be by letters that could take months to reach it's destination.

I've done the big move before, 11 years ago I left my home and moved over to the US. And I have to say, in just 11 years the moving has become less of a trauma.

It really hurts to leave all our good friends over here, but with Facebook and texting, IM and SKYPE, instant sharing of pictures and thoughts make it seem so much easier.
And considering the long boat ride the people did back in the late 1800's that took around a month, and lots of people died on the way due to sickness and famine, a really uncomfortable 11 hour flight don't seem that bad in comparison.

We are talking about how we should plan everything here the next couple of months, and we say, well, you have to fly back for the retirement, go hunting, go skiing, or to just renew my resident status or what ever the occasion, and it's so effortless.
Costly, sure, but effortless!! Comparing myself with poor Kristina who new when she bordered that ship that would take her across the Atlantic ocean, she would never see her homeland, family, and friends ever again, our move is effortless.

I don't have to worry about never seeing all my friends again, all I have to worry about is to make sure I have every body's phone number plugged in my cell phone so I can text them all...