It's been awhile since I've posted an update, so here goes.

My SO and I are starting the Partner Visa very soon (in August!) and right now everything is just one stress after another. Right now we're gathering all the paperwork needed for the visa (the evidence and certified documents needed). I like to be organized well ahead of due dates, so I have basically put all this work on my shoulders. As I said, it's been pretty stressful.

Right now the stress is coming from money issues, worrying about if we will have everything ready in time, and me being homesick. I know I need to find a way to take off the stress, but lately it's been being projected through arguments with my SO. Ugh, we've been having little arguments almost daily and it definitely doesn't help with the homesickness. I hate that we're fighting over silly stuff. This definitely feels like it's testing our relationship. Even though we're arguing, we still love each other and want this.

Being homesick is a new feeling to me. When I was away from my family for 6 months in Australia, we weren't on the best of terms. My parents were going through a nasty divorce and I just needed to get out. I didn't really miss them because I was out of the situation and finally focusing on my life. Well, when I came back home after those 6 months, everything was different. My parents were living apart and had their own places. I stayed with my dad for awhile and our relationship just got worse. I went to live with my mom and brother, but things didn't really change in our relationships. Then my brother went off to the Army and it was just me and my mom. Things rapidly improved between us! We got a lot closer and started hanging out and going places a lot. I was still miserable being back home, but I was glad that at least one of the relationships between me and my parents got better. Growing up, my mom and I had a hard relationship, I'm just glad we got to improve it.

I came back to Australia to see my SO and I've slowly started missing my mom. Hah, as silly as it sounds, we talk on the phone almost every day. Not about anything special, just about how we're doing day-to-day. Being here with my SO's family is great, they're like my second family, but it just makes me miss mine even more. I guess being here and having the partner visa submitted in August has made me realize, "Wow, this is really going to happen..! I'm going to be in another country than my family." Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting cold feet or second guessing my decision, it's just a new feeling that has hit me.

I know we'll get through this and things will work out perfectly. I love my SO and I'm ready to start our life. As long as we stick together and help each other through hard/stressful times, we can come out successful.

~S