SIMPLE JOYS OF LIFE

The title could have been “A guide to living abroad”! So as you understood, I will talk about what you need to know when you are living away from home. Maybe you already experienced this, if so I believe that you are familiar with the these feelings; recognizing a sent while you are walking on the street, founding a local fruit/veg whilst shopping at a super market, having a cup of coffee with friends… When away from home, your loved ones, that friendly conversation at the coffee table you realize how important all those little details are, simple joys of life!

First of all, we need to talk about the unbearable lightness of belonging! If you are now living in a place that you weren’t born and raised, you are a stranger; you might end up feeling lonely and disconnected. This is why you should develop a feeling of belonging; you have to make a home away from home… You have to find that little café that you love to have coffee, you have to have a fav restaurant, you have to know where to go, who to go with and what to have when you are there, you have to find out which festival is the coolest, cheapest, most popular… I started with my little dorm room! I filled in the shelves with books I bought from second hand bookshops, I hung posters on the wall…

 

And you wouldn’t believe how life saving those little vacuum thingies that I stuck on the wall of my shower! : )

Of course to build a sense of belonging takes time, you have to spend time in your little coffee house to know which one is your fav coffee, I am not even talking about getting familiar and developing a sense of belonging with a city! One step at a time friend, one step at a time : ) So until we build a relationship with this new place, let’s give our old habits a chance to make us happy, like cooking a traditional meal! Carrying on some of your old habits will give you strength to build that happy place you need in order to keep yourself going and comfort food can become a big part of it. 

Another thing this experience –living abroad- thought me was about attachments; what/whı I can’t live without and what/who I can live without! It is a very valuable life lesson; it’s a path to know yourself better…

But it is also very important to remember that now you are in a brand new place, this is an exciting opportunity to reinvent yourself! After you have created a secure zone for yourself, it is time to get out there and explore! Try new things, eat something you have never eaten, meet new people, learn how their perspective on life is and have fun! 

This map is pinned on a board where I live, and everyone puts a pin on the location he/she was born :)

The important thing is to acknowledge how this journey will affect your life; use this experience to get to know different cultures and to observe their perception on life! Enjoy your new life, friends and every now and then don’t forget to celebrate the simple joys of life…

Lots of kisses, -Zeps