Taking time off is something common, right? Well, that’s something I recently relearned.

Moving to another country completely changed my perception of what free time is and how necessary it is to take a vacation every once in a while. I knew that settling down would require an enormous amount of effort, possibly delaying a vacation indefinitely. And here we are—in the blink of an eye, seven years have gone by.

The only trips we’ve taken have been to Mexico to visit our families and friends. Those trips fill our hearts, but they’re not exactly relaxing, and they don’t satisfy my need to explore new places and cultures. It’s so ironic! That desire to travel was one of the main reasons I migrated, and now, having migrated, it’s what’s keeping me from fulfilling that need.

Patience pays off

Let’s face it, no one can be patient for six years! At some points, it’s been an absolute nerve-wracking hassle—feeling so tired of the routine, feeling stuck, experiencing burnout, and then opening social media only to see others traveling around the world.

But here we are. Learning to take a million deep breaths and counting to 10 a million times, too, has paid off. We’re finally going on vacation! We’re going to visit new places, disconnect from almost everything and everyone. We won’t be thinking about meetings, to-do lists, or deliverables—nothing.

Even writing this now gives me goosebumps.

When my boss approved the many vacation days I requested, I almost cried. That’s when I realized I had been waiting for this moment for more than seven years (considering that even before moving to Canada, it had been a long time since we’d taken any time off!).

Don’t take anything for granted

Let this post be a reminder not to take anything for granted—not the good, and especially not the bad. Time takes its own time to put everything in order, to teach everyone the lessons they need to learn, and make their dreams come true.

In this case, aside from working on my patience, I’ve been learning to trust the processes we are immersed in—from building a new life in a new country to adjusting my relationship with my home country. It’s been exhausting, but it has been worth it.

This long process made me forgot what it’s like to take a real vacation, but I’ll soon remember. So, thank you, time, for all the lessons you’ve taught us. And kudos to us (Adrian’s been a rockstar and my backbone too) for riding the seven-year rollercoaster and never giving up on on getting this incredible reward we deserve.