In college I studied in St Petersburg, Russia for 6 months. About 2-3 weeks into my stay I was informed by the college I was attending that in order to stay in Russia I had to have an HIV test. Another American was in my class so he and I went off to have adventure together. We made a pact that if we felt the hospital or needles were not clean, safe, etc we’d leave. Thankfully the facility was just fine and so were our results.
To celebrate our successful adventure we headed out to lunch. Over Chicken Kiev he asked me what I missed most about home. My answer came quickly and it surprised even me. I simple said “The human touch.”
My family is not overly touchy feely but we do give hugs, pats on the backs, share kind words, etc. Also at the time my niece was just going on two years and she was all about cuddling. When you are alone in a foreign country there is no way to duplicate this type of a connection.
My classmate couldn’t identify with what I was saying; he just stared at me with a confused look. I later learned that his family not that expressive. They were not into giving compliments, hugs, etc.
Flash Forward…..6 years later I find myself in Shanghai and struggling with the same feelings.
I’m thankful for the fact that I had a study abroad experience in college as all of the emotions I am experiencing in some ways feel familiar. I just have to search back in my memory for the coping methods related to physical touch I used while in St Pete.
One tool that is helpful – that I didn’t have back then – is the ability to do video conference calls via the internet. I’ve been able to connect with Rick and my sister is looking into one for her house. I think my niece and nephew would like it.
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teach me how to video-conference and I'll totally video-con w/ you. Sean has a camera on his computer - we just don't know how to use it.
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