Saudade: Waves of Melancholy
Saudade is the closest word I’ve found to describe how I felt after returning home from Kurdistan—a longing shaped by love, memory, and the ache of leaving parts of yourself behind. This piece reflects on identity, return, and the quiet melancholy of belonging to more than one place.
Welcome to Kurdistan: land of myth and magic
Arriving in Kurdistan for the first time by plane felt surreal. As the city lights shimmered below and an immigration officer welcomed us home, I stepped into a land I had carried with me since childhood—real, mythical, and filled with belonging.