Emotional Roadmap of an International Relocation
Sorry about the lack of updates for the past week. It's a week I'd like to forget, actually, so I'm fine with having no posts to show for it. To explain, here is the emotional roadmap of what it's like to move to a foreign country:
Weeks 1 and 2, aka Wide Eyed Optimism - "This is so cool, oh my gosh, I can't believe I actually live here! Oh, rad...what is that place? Who is that guy? How does this work? Neat! Is it really this easy to use public transit? Don't I look cute in my coat and new boots? Man, I am awesome, I will have this figured out in no time!"
Weeks 3 and 4, aka Reality Sets In and It Is Not Pretty - (my current state) "I can't read the label on one single thing in the stupid grocery store, I am so hungry living off carrots and dried banana chips. It starts getting dark at 3:30pm, and it's freezing and wet outside and I'm afraid I'm going to slip and break my ribs AND my laptop. At first it made me happy that people thought I was Finnish, now it just makes me feel like a dumbass to make them say things over again in English. Work is hard, I'm not sure I'm cut out for this job. I have no reason to leave the apartment, no one will know the difference, anyway, because I don't have even one measly friend. Did I do the right thing in making such a blind and huge commitment to live here for a whole year? Can I come back early? I miss my friends."
Weeks 5 and 6, aka Reality Isn't Quite So Bleak - I can't really speak to this yet, but my guess is that after such a beatdown couple of weeks, my confidence will return, I'll get re-excited about exploring my new city, a few things will go my way, and I'll befriend just one person, and that will make all the difference in the world. I'll start figuring stuff out (like where to buy salt, for example) and little by little I'll start conquering all the little challenging annoyances and have some semblance of a social life.
Weeks 7 and 8, aka You've Got This - My friend Leslie moved to London from Seattle a few months ago, and she says her emotional roadmap has matched mine pretty much exactly, and that around the 2 month mark, suddenly it all comes together. I will be with Leslie in London at my 2 month mark, so if she's not right I will let her know it. With my fists.
Weeks 1 and 2, aka Wide Eyed Optimism - "This is so cool, oh my gosh, I can't believe I actually live here! Oh, rad...what is that place? Who is that guy? How does this work? Neat! Is it really this easy to use public transit? Don't I look cute in my coat and new boots? Man, I am awesome, I will have this figured out in no time!"
Weeks 3 and 4, aka Reality Sets In and It Is Not Pretty - (my current state) "I can't read the label on one single thing in the stupid grocery store, I am so hungry living off carrots and dried banana chips. It starts getting dark at 3:30pm, and it's freezing and wet outside and I'm afraid I'm going to slip and break my ribs AND my laptop. At first it made me happy that people thought I was Finnish, now it just makes me feel like a dumbass to make them say things over again in English. Work is hard, I'm not sure I'm cut out for this job. I have no reason to leave the apartment, no one will know the difference, anyway, because I don't have even one measly friend. Did I do the right thing in making such a blind and huge commitment to live here for a whole year? Can I come back early? I miss my friends."
Weeks 5 and 6, aka Reality Isn't Quite So Bleak - I can't really speak to this yet, but my guess is that after such a beatdown couple of weeks, my confidence will return, I'll get re-excited about exploring my new city, a few things will go my way, and I'll befriend just one person, and that will make all the difference in the world. I'll start figuring stuff out (like where to buy salt, for example) and little by little I'll start conquering all the little challenging annoyances and have some semblance of a social life.
Weeks 7 and 8, aka You've Got This - My friend Leslie moved to London from Seattle a few months ago, and she says her emotional roadmap has matched mine pretty much exactly, and that around the 2 month mark, suddenly it all comes together. I will be with Leslie in London at my 2 month mark, so if she's not right I will let her know it. With my fists.
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