Chaithought: Of goodbyes and empty houses

However excited you are for the next step, goodbyes are always bittersweet, if not downright painful.

It's me, hi, I'm the problem!

Saying goodbye to a loved one, or a city you lived in for some time, or a rented house for that matter is no small feat. I truly admire people who can sidestep the attachment and seamlessly adapt to not just a new way of living but also being.

Personally, I cannot seem to escape this feeling of wistfulness and longing. Longing for things, places, and people you always took for granted. The ability to see someone all the time and know that they are all right, knowing exactly where you could go if you wanted a night out without scouring Google for reviews, that one perfectly painted room in colours that calmed you... all of it is lost when you say goodbye.

I don't mean to be all gloomy. Goodbyes do lead to new beginnings: one door closes, another opens, and all that. But you cannot deny the inescapable longing you feel right after the separation. You are never closer to the person or thing you say goodbye to than in the moment of separation. You miss everything about them or it — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I recently said goodbye to my rented home of two years. Believe me, two years was more than enough time for me to get to know and get used to the many quirks of the house. It's not that the new place was not, of course, better. It was. But everything about it was just too new and unknown.

After more than a few months here, now I know it well. It's become another cherished companion of my days and nights, weekdays and weekends. It welcomes me with the same warmth whenever I'm back after a few days or weeks away. And I'm sure I'll cry again when we inevitably move on...

See you soon!

Hope you enjoyed the first chaithought. I'm always looking for feedback!

For now, I'll leave you with this: Keep Reading!