Friendships Fathers Day always makes me realise the things that I miss and one of the sad things about unwittingly becoming an ex –pat is that you end up befriending like people, and I am someone who doesn’t particularly go out of my way to find non-American friends, but you do, you can’t help but find yourself drawn to people that have similar backgrounds, or experiences and let’s face it, people that share a sense of humour, ask any Brit, it is the thing that we miss the most being away from home.

But it is nice, it’s all part of the working and living overseas experience, you find parallels and befriend a range people that perhaps one would never have met in London.

Except there is a downside and a sad one at that, these people, these ex-pats, these friends have adventure and travel in their bellies and so often those friendships have to end or take on a different format, as people seek other life and work opportunities in different places around the globe or they simply return home.

In my time in Chicago it has happened three times. A German girl I got to know went back to Munich after her 2-year contract ended working for a German company here. An English couple (who we will stay with next time we come over) went back to the UK after his 6-month secondment ended. Our relationship with them was like a holiday romance, we saw so much of this couple in the time they were in the city, and then they were gone.

Then yesterday another couple of great friends upped and left us. She was Chicago born and bred and worked with me and he was her husband, and a top bloke at that, this despite being an Aussie and a Gooner.

It’s not fair but it’s what happens. No doubt one day I will do the same.  ¶ 11:35