Two Year Anniversary

I landed at Leeds Bradford airport two years ago today. My boss dropped me off at my temporary apartment, and I fell flat on my face for 16 hours straight.

It's been a strange couple of years, I admit. Moving to any new place can be a wild ride, but moving to another country is a roller coaster of wackiness. Between learning to use the washing machine, learning to drink beer properly, deciphering British social rules, and figuring out what an aubergine is, I sometimes feel like I just got off a carnival ride and I'm going to puke.

Just kidding about the puke bit. A little.

Growing up, I didn't understand social cues. I treated other kids as my own personal experiment to learn how to behave properly. I ended up having a mental catalog of cues and their appropriate responses in order to get through everyday social interactions. That catalog has undergone heavy revision in the past two years. I worry a little about what's going to happen when I eventually move back to the US, and have to revise the mental catalog.

My job runs out in a year. In 6 months I have to figure out where and what to do next. It's daunting. I wonder if I'm up for the challenge of turning my life upside down again, and trying something new.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Stay here then :)
October 31, 2010 at 10:56 PM
kristina said…
If you were up to the challenge of moving to the UK on your own, you're most definitely up to any challenge! Do you think you'll be returning to the States?

K x
November 3, 2010 at 5:24 PM
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