So it has been a week since we packed up our stuff, stored all of our furniture and said goodbye to our lovely friends and family. My little family and I set our course for adventure and that is certainly what we are getting.
Moving to a new place is one thing, but a whole new culture gives you a fish out of water feeling that is hard to completely cope with.
The place we have moved to, Fujairah - the smallest Emirates in the UAE, is a sleepy town compared to the larger and busier Emirate, Dubai. Everything here is different than in Norway....
sand vs. snow
black/brown hair vs. blond hair
sun vs. no sun
chaos vs. order
Expected differences right? I mean, I knew all that. The thing I didn't know that has been fascinating to see is the men in this region, how completely taken they are with my little boy. The men of the Arabian Peninsula wear the immaculate pressed gleaming white ankle length robes called dishdasha. When we encounter these men on our outings, so man of them will drop what they are doing and kneel down to talk with, wave at and connect to my little one. The sense of authentic compassion and interest for small children I get from these men is so fascinating to me. And struck me initially as very contradictory...I mean I would never have suspected that the strong arabic man would have any playful interest in children, but it has been the nicest surprise.
So for me it is all about not making quick assumptions about the place and the people of my new home. To let it unfold, let the surprises show themselves. I know that I will have hard days and days where my external environment will make me feel like shoving my head under the sand, but my biggest resources or tools for dealing with this often stressful experience are:
- Staying grounded. When the worry, fear, feeling of being lost or misplaced comes I find my way back to the feeling of being rooted to and a part of the energy of the earth.
- Being present in the moment open to life unfolding.
- Looking for and connecting to lovely, positive things in moments that don't feel so lovely and positive. Taking a moment and playing with or simply appreciating my children help me feel better in any moment.
- Taking time for me. The way for me to really combat stress and feel strong and happy is to take time each day for inner work, or for me it is either writing or meditation. Having an external focus all day is draining and this time for me fills me up.
Perhaps some of this is relevant in your stressful life? I hope these perspectives help!
Many blessings
Hei Sigrid,
Morsomt å lese om flytten deres og om dine reaksjoner og overlevelsesmetoder. Jeg er i Marokko med familien for et år, har omtrent de samme strategiene som deg. Det jeg tenker, etter flere måneder uten stresset hjemme i Norge, er at dette er gode strategier for hverdagslivet der også.
Lykke til!
Hilsen Ine
Posted by: Ine Andersen | March 29, 2010 at 11:18 PM