Adaptation

I've come to the conclusion that there are 3 stages in moving to another country. These were confirmed yesterday when talking to my portuguese teacher, who has known alot of "foreigners" and people who have done just that...moved to another country. She said the same thing.

The initial stage is the vacation stage. You basically just feel like you are on vacation. That lasted for about a month for me, mid-June when we got here to mid-July.

The second stage is one of reality setting in and in some cases shock and horror. I didn't really experience the shock and horror part I don't think. I had a few bad days, one REALLY bad day, but mostly it was just trying to figure out how...how to be me in this very different (in lots of aspects) place. That also lasted about a month (mid-July to mid-August).

The 3rd stage is one of adaptation. It's where you really kind of start to settle. You haven't figured out all the answers of course...only in time will that happen...the time of your whole life span. :) But, you start to settle into who you are in your new country. You start to see ways that you can adapt your way of life into the way of life in your new place. You learn of ways that you can still do things the way you did them before...well, the end result will be the same, but the process might be very different (recipes for instance...making substitutions for the things that just aren't found here). Thankfully I am very comfortably in the 3rd stage.

My portuguese teacher, Lea (pronounced like Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies), asked me yesterday if the language part or the food part was the hardest for me in making the transition. It was definitely the food part for me. I shared how I thought that was the case just because I think I'm pretty relational. A little thing like a language barrier isn't going to keep me from relating to people in some way. I have never once felt lonely here. But the food part...that's another story. Talk about down in the dumps. My teacher said that it's usually the other way around...it's usually the language part that is the hardest and then the food part for people. I really was beginning to wonder about myself...did I have a total obsession with food? :) It was reassuring to hear that that was completely normal...food is a huge factor in the overall transition. Funny, but makes sense...it is a huge part of our lives.

So, now that I'm in the 3rd and final stage I believe, we just live life. We are, it seems, settled. Of course we'll make another move next summer (oh man, will the moves ever stop). :) But, it won't be as much of a transition as this last one.

Just wanted to update you on "where we are." Things are going great and we are busy and having a great time. We are loving hanging out with our church friends...more on that later. And now I have to go make myself a smoothie. :) Until next time...