A friend once mentioned that every move is a chance to reinvent yourself. I understand now what he meant; four months into our relocation, things are very different now. Why?
I think it's because every move brings new circumstances, which in turn create new routines, friends, and focus areas. Altogether, this changes you.
- Routines change by necessity. Living here has reduced my commute time considerably (yay!), altered my errand schedule, and affected common chores. We now spend way more time on laundry* (boo!), less time on yard work, and so on.
- New locations mean new friendships. There's no getting around the convenience of (and need for) local connections; even in this digital age, we need to fellowship with people in close physical proximity.
- We focus on things of interest or need in our environment. Living in Europe, we spend time on language, travel, and cultural experiences we didn't back home. Yet that means I read less, play fewer board games, and so on. We have finite capacity . . . can't do it all.
There's probably more . . . but these three things are significant. Ultimately, a relocation means redistribution of how you spend your time, and that, in turn, affects who you are as a person. So if you're in a rut, try relocating- preferably to a new country or continent- and use the opportunity to grow.
*because European washers and dryers hold much less and take much longer
I think it's because every move brings new circumstances, which in turn create new routines, friends, and focus areas. Altogether, this changes you.
- Routines change by necessity. Living here has reduced my commute time considerably (yay!), altered my errand schedule, and affected common chores. We now spend way more time on laundry* (boo!), less time on yard work, and so on.
- New locations mean new friendships. There's no getting around the convenience of (and need for) local connections; even in this digital age, we need to fellowship with people in close physical proximity.
- We focus on things of interest or need in our environment. Living in Europe, we spend time on language, travel, and cultural experiences we didn't back home. Yet that means I read less, play fewer board games, and so on. We have finite capacity . . . can't do it all.
There's probably more . . . but these three things are significant. Ultimately, a relocation means redistribution of how you spend your time, and that, in turn, affects who you are as a person. So if you're in a rut, try relocating- preferably to a new country or continent- and use the opportunity to grow.
*because European washers and dryers hold much less and take much longer
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