Woman Explains Why She Doesn't Miss The Place, But Misses The People And Moments Back Home

For many people living away from home, missing a country can sometimes mean missing the people and moments connected to it. An Indian woman living in Canada, Manya, shared a similar experience, saying she does not miss India as a country but misses her home and family.

In an Instagram video, Manya said she realised that she was not homesick for an entire country but for "about six people and one room". 

She spoke about the simple moments she misses with her parents, including sitting in her mother's kitchen while she made parathas and hearing her father read the newspaper.

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A post shared by Manya | First Gen Immigrant 🇨🇦 (@simplymanyaaa)

Manya said she can recreate many familiar parts of life in Canada. She can make parathas like her mother, visit restaurants serving food similar to what she had back home and celebrate Diwali with rituals, diyas and mithais. However, she said these experiences still did not feel like being back home.

For years, Manya thought she was being too picky or too stuck in nostalgia. She later realised that she was trying to solve the wrong problem because she was homesick for six people and a specific room.

She said she misses sitting in her mother's kitchen at 11 in the morning while waiting for parathas. She also misses the sound of her father turning the pages of his newspaper while listening to the news. She added that she misses the jhula that everyone used to fight for.

Manya said that next time, instead of doing rounds of shopping and visiting everyone's house, she would rather sit in her mother's kitchen at 11 in the morning for as long as her mother allows.

She also clarified that her video was based on her personal experience and was not intended to compare India with Canada.

Social Media Reaction

Several users shared their own experiences of living away from India.

One user commented, "When I go to India, I go for my family, my friends and my home."

Another user noted, "I echo the same feelings."

"The thought of being away from my parents even for a while made me emotional," added a third user.