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Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

41

The longing for faraway places Colette Eisenhuth

That I grew up in Belgium is basically a matter of chance. I am simply born there and my family had no reason to leave.

So why did I want to? Why then did I dare to?

The longing, my child, the longing for faraway places, - the bold daring whispers:

When the attracting power of that which is distant becomes stronger than dull rationalization, then you just have to pack your rucksack and wander through the world and life, as a stranger, as a guest …

until you somewhere, at some time find yourself.

For the first time, at the age of six, my child’s world expanded beyond the family circle: I went to school. I learned reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as history and geography. But it is out in the schoolyard and in the neighbourhood that I discovered, with a child’s understanding, what “We in Europe” means. And in order to experience European flair, I didn’t need to travel a lot. We children could experience that daily …

And so, for me there was no reason to leave … Or ?

… Apparently, it sometimes requires only a little to steer the wheel of life this way or that. Yes, if it hadn’t been for my cousin’s letters. They told of his suspenseful encounters in the regions of Africa where he did missionary work.

These tales reflected the people’s philosophy of life and their hopes. That’s where life was and I wanted to experience it for myself…