I Asked My Parents 6 Questions Related To Me Living Abroad. Their Answers Made Me Cry

I’ve been traveling without my parents for a very long time. I started traveling internationally when I was 18 years old, and all of my international travels were done with friends or solo, but never with my parents.

The path that led me to be a successful traveler was very hard. I come from a poor family, so unlike a lot of my friends, my parents have never given me a single penny for my travels. Growing up I knew that If I ever wanted to go on a trip abroad, I’d have to get a job and save my own money. I knew that I could never count on my parents to help me financially to travel because they had other priorities such as raising five kids in the favelas of Brazil.

I was always very clear about my desire to visit other countries when I was a kid. I remember I got bullied and laughed at a lot at school because I would always talk about me dreaming of traveling to Disney World or going on vacation to Thailand, and seeing different cultures, and my classmates would say a lot of very mean things such as “who do you think you are”, “you will never be able to go because you’re poor”, or “wake up from this dream Gabriel, you come from a poor family”.

Although it was very hard to deal with such negative comments and difficult reality, I never let these things stop me from dreaming higher and higher. The fire that burned inside my heart was bigger and more powerful and I was ready to use all of it to find the strength to fight for my dreams.

I never cared about what people thought of me when it comes to me dreaming big dreams and going on international trips instead of going straight to college. However, I’ve always been super curious about what my parents thought of all of that.

This month of February, more specifically on February 17, I’m celebrating two years living in the United States. I came here to become an Au Pair in 2019 and I have not come back to visit my family in Brazil during all this time at all. So to celebrate these two years, I decided to ask my parents a few questions to know what crossed their minds when I told them I wanted to travel the world and live in the U.S. for two years. Their answers touched my heart so deeply, and they made me want to go back to Brazil so badly now.

Here is what they said:

1- What was the first thing that went through your mind when you noticed I had a huge desire to learn foreign languages?

My mom:

“ I remember you were 8 years old when you told me that you wanted to learn English as a second language. When you said that, I didn’t really take your words seriously. I thought you were just trying to fool around with me. However, after I received a phone call by your third grade teacher saying that she saw a huge potential in you during the English classes and she asked me if I could afford private English classes so that you could learn to speak the language fluently, I started to see your excitement for languages through a different perspective. It also made me feel special. You know, being a mom to a bilingual son made me feel proud of you because you’ve always been a boy who never looks at the obstacles, but you’re always ready to fight for your dreams. So, what did I feel when you told me you were going to learn English? I felt joy, grateful to God for your perseveriance, and I felt I was the most important mom in the world”.

My dad:

“I just got very happy. My heart filled with so much joy to know that I would have a son smart enough to be able to speak a foreign language. I was very happy for you because as you know, I did not have the opportunity to go to school and learn English, so I was over the moon when you showed interest in learning a new language.”

2- What thoughts crossed your mind when I told you I was going to live abroad for two years?

My mom:

“First things first: Gabriel, you lied to me about the amount of time you were going to be living abroad for. You didn’t tell me you were going to do it for two years. There are a lot of details related to your travels that I’m only told last minute. I remember one of your childhood friends was the one who told me that you were going to be in the U.S. for all this time, and she even joked and said: “Don’t you know your son well, Claudia?”. Then, the first feeling I had was fear. I was afraid, you know. I also missed you so much already even before you left. However, I also felt extremely happy for you because I knew you were ready to face this world to make all your dreams come true. I think it’s very important for people to follow their dreams, and you know how much I talk about that. Do you remember what I always said to you? If, for whatever reason, I could not help you achieve all your dreams, it was up to you to not let them die. Sometimes we need to use our own strength to fight for our dreams. And now that I see that you were able to make this dream come true, it made me feel like I also made mine come true too”.

My dad:

“I was very afraid of what could go wrong. As your father, I was thinking about you traveling abroad by yourself all the time, so I got very worried about you. But thank God you made it there safely, and I’m proud of you!”

3- On February 17 2019 was the day I left home. What do you remember of this day?

My mom:

“I remember the day you left I had to work. I came home late from work and I found you in the living room looking extremetly anxious and nervous. Then, when it was time for you to go to the airport, I got paralyzed. I really felt the whole world had stopped in front of me and I couldn’t move because that was the moment I realized it was really happening. I felt a very hard pain in my chest, and I could’t stop crying. I remember the day you left I didn’t want to see anyone else, I had a hard time falling asleep, and I could not stop crying for about three days.”

My dad:

“I remember this day as if it were today. My heart was in pain. I remember when I dropped you off at the airport I felt sad because I knew you were going to be physically so far away from your dad for such a long time.”

4- As soon as we said goodbye to each other, what went through your mind?

My mom:

“When you gave me a very tight hug and then you left, I remember I didn’t say goodbye, but I said see you soon. I had prayed to God asking him to protect you all the way. But while I was hugging you I remember that the greatest feeling I had was pride. I was so proud of you for making that big move in your life.”

My dad:

“What went through my mind was the fact that you are such a winner and you were marching up towards your victory place. I had to accept the fact you were going to be gone for such a long time, but I was happy for you. I knew you were doing that for yourself and I couldn’t be happier.”

5- Was there any specific moment that you missed me the most?

My mom:

“It’s simple to answer this question. It’s been every single time I cook cabbage and pork, and when I make some good coffee. When it comes to drinking coffee with you, you know it was never about the coffee itself. It was always about spending some really good quality time together and strengthening our relationship as mother and son and friends. For me, if I have coffee with someone, that means that it is the sign of a great friendship. It’s the moment that we laugh, cry, gossip, and have a really good time”.

My dad:

“There wasn’t a specific moment that I missed you the most. I just miss the person of Gabriel very much every day of my life. I miss my Gabe, my special son so much. I miss spending time with you. I miss you.”

6- What’s the first thing you want to do with me as soon as I’m back home?

My mom:

“I just want to hug you really tight for an endless amount of time. Then I’ll ask you a thousand questions related to your experience living in a foreign country”.

My dad:

“I just want to spend as much time with you as possible before you go on your next adventure.”

I’m so happy to know that I did my parents proud. Their answers brought tears to my eyes, and I’m so grateful to call Paulo and Claudia my parents. I’m so thankful for their support, and for them being there for me. My favorite memories abroad were when I video chatted with them whenever I reached a new tourist attraction. They lived a lot of my travel moments with me even though they were on the other side of the continent, and this is something I’m going to hold on tight for the rest of my life.

Have you ever lived abroad before? How did your parents react when you told them about your choice of living in a foreign country?

Do you intend to live abroad in the future? How do you think your parents will react?

I’d love to hear from you!

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