I moved to Miami back in March of this year. A big move. The result of the end of my marriage. I only knew two people in Miami at the time. So the move overall was hard given the drastic change in my home life, of which the hardest was leaving my 15-year-old daughter behind on the west coast — she was to live with her mom.

Its is a loneliness that manifest itself physically

Carolina

I can say that the most challenging part of the day for months was 5 pm through midnight. This time was the window right when work ended, and then there was nothing or no one. The loneliness was a loneliness I had never felt before. As someone I spoke to during that period brilliantly noted from her own experience, “It is a loneliness that manifests itself physically.” And it did. But the loneliness serves as a purification process for the soul, the mind, and the body. Introspection becomes an unwelcomed companion, and you have the choice to embrace it or reject it.

Months of introspection started to rebuild my sense of self. Fearing what I would find, I nonetheless proceeded forward — I had no choice. I can’t say I have arrived where I am going, but I am no longer bound by the chains of regret and hurt. And while the fear of the unknown always remains near, it has become more of an instrument than a blocker. A radar of sorts to help guide me on this journey. The more discomfort and fear, the more I know I should continue on the path and explore the whys of such feelings.