Empty Nest Syndrome ..especially Abroad?

I feel like I am unable to connect and develop a friendship with others because of lack of shared history like @Rihana stated. Having said that, for me, personally just being in a place with a lot of other strangers is enough to uplift me because I am so starved of company. And only here in the US, the streets are deserted after 7 pm. Hardly any activity on the streets. Even if you go out to a place that has people, it's either mall, movies or restaurants. It's become boring now.

Even grocery shopping is now online unlike in India where half the pleasure of grocery shopping was bargaining with the vendors and getting produce every other day by just walking to the market. I do miss this aspect of life in India vs US. Though now I hear even in India no one goes out to buy anything. Everything is delivered home, people don't know their own neighbors, folks hardly cook at home - they either Swiggy or hire a cook....the art of self cooking is almost getting extinct and not just in India. I feel I am the last of my type cooking 3 fresh meals everyday at home !!

Having said that I have to mention that recently I went to London and life in the city there is so vibrant. I loved that there are squares where people gather, performances happen, you can even sit, do nothing and watch life bustling by. You feel mentally refreshed. And this reminds me of my own home in India where if we would get bored, we would just sit in the balcony and watch kids walk to the school and college near our home. It was a great change. Boy I do miss all that here!!


Its been close to a decade that I have visited India. I do love the India I left behind, but I think if I ever go visit India, it will be a culture shock for ME considering how much things would have changed in the past decade. The memories of India I have so lovingly preserved in my mind is not the India that I will go back to...and somewhere in a little corner of my heart I know that !!!

 

not trying de-railing main idea of this thread. but that india you left is now a memory on what you feel should be. things are way different now. people order everything in swiggy and what not.

 

Not necessarily, but it does depend on how involved parents are with their children. Parents of South Asian origin, like us, often face unique challenges compared to parents from the West.

Many of my relatives abroad are either going through or have experienced "empty nest syndrome." For some, it is an incredibly difficult adjustment, while others are still learning to cope. Widowed or separated parents face this stage of life with a heavy heart and often feel hopeless once their children leave home. Having dedicated so much of themselves to family, often without a support system or time to build friendships, they suddenly find themselves alone, which can be painful.

Some old relatives choose to return to Sri Lanka to escape harsh winters and reconnect with their roots, staying for a few months before going back to Europe for the summer. However, the families hosting them in Sri Lanka may feel uncomfortable with these extended, recurrent visits, which can lead to heartache.

They often envy the life in Sri Lanka (for ex: the life of my mom) where both parents and children (and even grand children) live together or live in close proximity and so involved in each others' lives and share both happy and sad moments.

In response, many of my cousins and friends in Europe- who are yet to experience this trouble, have invested in apartments or villas in Sri Lanka, close to loved ones. They hope to establish a support system and sense of purpose in their homeland, planning to shuttle between countries during different seasons to avoid feelings of isolation.