Would you reach out to an ex where things ended amicably?

Have an ex who was from another country and to keep it short I was crazy about him. We just had an instant chemistry with each other and got each other's quirky personalities. Best sex ive ever had too. I really think he's the only guy I've been with that truly understood me. So anyway his time was up in my country and he had to go back. He couldn't come back here and we slowly just stopped communicating with each other. It's been a few years and randomly this week I'm missing him like crazy out of the blue and getting emotional.

I was thinking of messaging him just to let him know I still think of him fondly. But he also was the one who stopped replying to me so I figured I just needed to let him be but I don't know the urge to message him now is strong. Should I continue to just let him be or message him? There is a part of me that feels like if I message him it's gonna make me more emotional and have me missing him even more.