Planning ahead

One thing I've learned is that there are some celebratory days from home that cannot go amiss. Even though you're living abroad some dates from your homeland must still stand, if not for your sake, for the sake of the loved ones you left behind. Because even though you're somewhere new where you can clearly feel (and see) you've turned a new leaf,  where there's new customs and ways to learn, for them the world is still the same minus your presence and the gap you left in their lives.

Remembering and acting accordingly takes effort. You might think it won't, that you'll always remember those dates, but don't underestimate the importance the media has in being our calendar. This year if it wasn't for the Portuguese podcast I listen to every morning on my way to work I'd surely have forgotten about Father's Day until it was too late. If you think about it you probably never had to remember an important celebratory day without it being fully advertised at least two weeks in advance. Think about it... I'm sure you can now see how right I am in this. Unknowingly and without much effort we rely on the media to remind us of the important dates. Christmas, Valentines, Easter, Mother's Day, Pancake Day, etc, etc. You think it's all you, but if all that visual reinforcement wasn't there can you really be so sure you'd remember?

Then there's the matter of time. When you live nearby to those you love a card and a present bought on the eve of the event might suffice. When you live a thousand miles away... not so much. So you need to remember with time to spare and act in advance. To mail a present or arrange some sort of surprise for the person intended.

The trickiest one for me is Father's Day. Because it's a day that is also celebrated in the UK I think my brain kind of relaxes a bit and doesn't dwell on it too much. The problem is that here Father's Day is in June and in Portugal is in March. So if I want to send a Father's Day card to my dad I have two options: 1) print one myself when closer to the date or 2) buy one in June and pray I still remember where the hell I've put it when March comes rolling by. Or 3) buy a father's birthday card and scratch the birthday bit. I guess which one happened this year? Exactly, 3).

Anyhoot, the message here is simple: remember, remember, your loved ones are still living by their country's calendar, not your new one, so if you want to keep celebrating those special days you need to go about it with a lot less spontaneity than you did before. Planning here is key to making everyone happy. And avoid nasty last minute surprises. Which I guess we can all do without.