5 immediate changes when moving to a new country
As I am adjusting to a new life, I thought I would share some of the lifestyle stuff one needs to consider as one moves to a new place, culture and way of doing things…. In no particular order.
How to do laundry - I’ve spoken about this before, especially in regard to my life in India. But here in Spain and throughout Europe, a clothes dryer is a luxury. I have a wonderful clothes washer and I am grateful for that! When you don’t have a dryer, you are dependent on WEATHER to dry your clothes - which means when it is raining for weeks on end and you are living out of a suitcase because your shipment has not arrived…. laundry takes up a lot of your brain space.
How to get around - see previous posts. How to get from one place to another? I have been blessed with many people who volunteer to cart me around - to the grocery store, to the bank, to work out my cell phone issues, to get my residency permit, etc . This has been a gift while I learn how the bus system works.
3. How to resupply - When you are new to a place and setting up a household - one needs stuff: food, cleaning supplies, dishes and silverware. I am so blessed that the La Siesta people set up the house with all the preparatory materials needed - towels and sheets, pots and pans, etc… All the things I need as my shipment is en route. But when you run out of coffee, when you need a leash and collar for your arriving dog, when you realize you didn’t pack any stoles and need a PURPLE STOLE STAT! … A Spanish Amazon account is essential.
4. How to communicate with folks back home - One of the very first things to address was my WIFI service. Internet service is essential for me to conduct business with the GBGM, to manage and to send money on behalf of Friends of Padhar Schools, to communicate with my church people and potential partners in my mission work at La Siesta and to keep up with my family and friends. For a week I was using a personal hotspot because I had cell service, but it was sketchy and temperamental. Quality WIFI service gives me freedom and ease to live my crazy life.
5. How to relax - This one I am still discovering and will continue to discover for time to come. But this life can be stressful and it is necessary to find ways to rest. For now, Po and I are enjoying our naps , Netflix and the occasional walk in the neighborhood. Once the rain stops, I am certain we will discover more ways to re-energize.