2025-11-14 – Health – www.theguardian.com
You’re desperate to go home, but there’s also a huge risk of idealising it, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Start looking at the hard details outside the fantasy
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After living overseas for many years, suffering a severe illness and nearly dying, I am desperate to return home to be nearer my family and friends. However, I have a good life where I am living with my husband (we don’t have children): we both have good jobs (I managed to change profession after my illness and landed a really good new role), and a lovely house in a good area.
I feel quite lonely here because despite my husband and colleagues I have few friends. I also keep getting sick as my immune system has been damaged and I have a couple of autoimmune issues. I’m desperate to go home and imagine an idyllic life living in a beautiful little house seeing my family and friends. Ideally not having to work much but spending more time with my parents in their retirement years.