When you move to a foreign country the first thing you're bound to feel is isolation. You left your country, your home, your family and friends behind. Ahead is a seemingly endless sea of days without any of it. And no matter how promising your new life is, the emptiness caused by all the things that have ceased to be part of your life aches. A lot. And the day when you travel back for no matter how long always feels a million light years away. So what do you do? How do you cope?
Personally I focused on smaller milestones. On holidays and any reason to celebrate. My first week living abroad. Then the first month. Then my boyfriend's birthday. Then Hallowe'en. Bonfire Night. Our anniversary. Christmas. New Years. Valentines. Pancake Day. My Birthday. And soon enough I was celebrating my first year abroad.
Very much like a train that stops in every little village until it reaches the big city, I was always concentrating on the next item on the celebratory list. I avoided thinking "there's still seven months until I see my family again". Instead I looked forward to the next holiday. Just two weeks to go. And then only a month until it's time to celebrate something else again. I was denial when it came to looking at the bigger picture. And it worked.
I know it might sound childish and stupid, but there's no arguing over the results. Living abroad is tough and not for the faint of mind/heart. You're entitled to a few coping mechanisms. Besides, this type of thinking will help you blend in so much faster. And by blend in I mean learn the way of the land and learn to enjoy it just like the natives do. Think about it - what's not to love about a day dedicated to eating pancakes? Or having an extra day after Christmas to just chill out? And you can still celebrate your old holidays, even it is on a smaller scale.
Ponder on this - you're not really trading your native train for a new one, you're just adding more stops along the way! And that's progress!
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