Sometimes it's as Simple as a Hug

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A few weeks ago, I filled out a survey on Myspace and one of the questions was when was the last time you hugged someone. At the time, my answer was July 24, 2007 when I hugged my parents goodbye at the airport. Today, that answer has changed. Earlier today I hugged my roommate Berrak goodbye as she got into Tim's dad's car and drove off to her new place of residence. That hug meant so much to me- my first hug in Australia. We got her a card that said something to the affect of, "Friends are the family you got to choose." When I moved in here 10 weeks ago, Berrak was the first one of my roommates that I met. I didn't understand a word of what she was saying and she didn't understand me either, but today she is my friend. We have spent many late nights on the couch talking and listening to music. We have spent afternoon sitting at the table drinking tea. She was there with me to ring in my 21st birthday at midnight. She called the clinic for me as I sat on the couch in gut wrenching pain with my foot. She's become like my sister, a true friend. I will always remember her as that first smiling face that I met here in Australia. When I was so upset, tired, frustrated and missing home....she was there, smiling and trying so hard to understand my English. Today, when she hugged me, I felt at home.

Then, we came back up to the apartment, something was missing. A piece of our home was gone. A new roommate is moving in tomorrow and it won't be the same. I look forward to getting to meet someone from yet another country, but I will miss Berrak. I will miss that part of apartment 407 that I have come to call home.

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