Eliminate
Your Expectations
Before I
moved to Uganda I spent so much time on the internet reading blog posts about
people who had moved to other countries and what their experiences were like
thinking it would give me some idea of what I was getting myself into. I had no
idea what to expect, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t know what I wanted to expect. My limited knowledge
of what it is to live in another country opened wide the door for the
unexpected; and boy has it been a wild ride. There are days that are completely
mundane and I just hang around in sweatpants longer than socially appropriate
for an adult my age, drink some coffee, and read a book; while there are other
days when I can’t imagine my life being any more bizarre. All expectations are
out the window, mainly because they are pointless, but secondly because they
can ruin the joy of spontaneity.
Food is for
the Stomach…and the Heart
I have never been what some would
consider a “foodie”. Foodies can tell the difference between fresh lemon juice and
juice from a bottle and unfortunately that’s not my gifting. But, since living
in this new country where the food can be so different and admittedly bland…I
have had some desperate moments when I thought I would scalp someone for some
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Covered Almonds from Trader Joe’s. Nonetheless, I have
learned that there are just some things that do a body good – emotionally
speaking. When my parents came to visit in March I couldn’t have been happier
to open their luggage and see the multiplicity of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese packed
next to the Fun Size Milky Way. My heart was happy.
Time is
Really Just a Number
Punctuality has never been my
strong suit. I am a recovering procrastinator with a take-it-easy personality. One
things I have come to embrace and cherish about this culture is that time is
just a suggestion. It’s ok to stop on the way and take care of the multiple
things that might need to be taken care of, and the person waiting is ok to
wait. They will find some way to fill their time. Patience is a virtue you
know…what’s the point in getting all bent out of shape over something so
menial? Maybe this concept is just nursing my shortcomings, but I truly believe
time was not created to control our lives, it was created to be a more
hands-off assistant.
You Won’t
Be In or Out
Being the new kid in town has its
perks and its downsides. When you get to town everyone wants to welcome you and
make you feel at home and comfortable, but there is something even more
comfortable about being a local. It’s been almost a year since I relocated to
Uganda and the way that I feel now as opposed to the moment I stepped off the
plane is really incomparable. But, I am still the Mzungu walking around the
village and trying to navigate her way around the city. I have roots here now.
I have friends and I have my usual places that I go to hang out, but that
doesn’t make me a Ugandan. And it’s ok. In the beginning I was really troubled
by this and it hindered me from ever calling this place home, but now I have
come to embrace it and enjoy the fact that I will always have the opportunity
to experience something entirely new.
You are
Always Missing Something
Whatever your reasons for
relocating to a new country, you can never truly leave your hometown behind. So
much of who I am is wrapped up in my life back in America. I’m not ashamed of
that. Many people that I have talked to out here want to put down their country
of origin almost in a way to convince themselves that this new place is the better
choice and they don’t miss their old life. While I love making new memories in
Uganda, there are things about my “old life” that are missed. It was a
wonderful life that deserves to be remembered. But, I know that things are
always changing and we are always moving forward, so I am thankful that I have
something that is worth missing and remembering; something that has made me who
I am, and now I have something new that is continuing to make me who I will be.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
No comments:
Post a Comment