For the Past Month, Every Day Was a New Discovery
But now I’m finally back home
I’ve been absent for over a month, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I felt unmoored for what seemed like an eternity.
Leaving my home was more than leaving a place. It was a parting from a life I’d grown accustomed to, one that had seamlessly blended with my identity.
As the ground beneath my feet changed, the familiar gave way to the unknown: a foreign land, unfamiliar faces, alien culture, and peculiar traditions.
And while many dream of such adventures as tourists, I found myself completely submerged, drowning in everyday life situations like a local.
This new world, while charming, brought with it challenges that sometimes felt insurmountable.
My husband’s homeland, Azerbaijan, danced to a different rhythm — its own set of unspoken rules, expectations, and societal obligations — a rhythm starkly contrasting the West.
The crowded streets, the constant chatter, and the myriad of faces — which soon turned from strangers to family — were at times overwhelming.
Even nature seemed to converse in a different language.
But I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments of joy and beauty — there were, without…