[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4YRJdoxfmLU/U3jU3FpzCYI/AAAAAAACjXo/dAV4gmb7sAo/s144-c-o/IMG_20140518_171637.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103687591071624398660/20141116?authkey=8gE8Pjto-JI#6014791345228679554″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20140518_171637.jpg” ]
Living in a foreign country has it’s perks and it’s negative aspects. Going into a hospital and not understanding what they’re saying to you about your newborn is scary for sure. I promise. But I’ve found that a survival skill is being able to smile and be flexible in the midst of those circumstances. I had a friend who moved to Russia a few months before we moved to Krakow, and she quickly became aware of how vital a positive attitude is.
I know I take myself too seriously and analyze what I said, how I said it and how should I have said it better. Just frustrating myself more and more. Can you relate? So based on her wise advice, I’ve learned to laugh at myself. Laughing and how I totally screwed up that sentence or how I mixed Polish and German together. Whoops. Having my 6yr old laugh and correct my pronunciation. Awesome.
OK, it’s not awesome all the time and can be quite annoying actually. But it’s a learning curve. And all in all, an adventure. And that’s what we signed up for. That’ what we, as people, are drawn to. I’m reminded of the Lord of the Rings. Just pick a character and you’ll see the transformation from the beginning of the story to the end. (my favorite is Sam- the hero of the movie!) We love character development in our shows, movies and if we’re honest, in ourselves. I just don’t think we like to experience it. And yes, it’s hard. But that’s the point. To overcome and grow in the midst of troubles and the unknown.
So far it’s not that dramatic or epic, lol, but we have had a couple experiences where we feel lost, overwhelmed and confused at the way things work here. I’ve had moments where I wish I could be back in Seattle at my moms house looking at her Christmas lights or snuggling with my daddy and feeling how warm he is. But fortunately those feelings come and go. Moments of overcoming comes. Being able to order a meal all in their language, going to the grocery store and finding a familiar product or having a random old person ask you a question and being able to reply and have them understand you. That’s winning. And that’s when I write them down and tell myself that I have a whole lot more winning in my future.
Life is an Adventure. And I’m glad I’m not coasting through it.
