Little Milestones

Friday 24 August 2012


When you move to a new country, every day you are forced to conquer something new.  Most of these things are mundane but it takes a lot of effort and courage to do them.

- Walking downtown without getting lost.
- Figuring out how the post office works.
- Making an appointment.
- Saying your first words in a new language.
- Taking public transport.
- Asking for help.

The simplest of things become obstacles and if you are like me, it's a bit stressful.  I'm not the most outgoing person (shocking, I know because I air my life on the internet) and I really have to work myself up to these new experiences.  I google it, map it, practise it over in my head, work up the courage and finally tackle it.  

When I've succeeded, I feel so proud of myself and I know exactly what to do the next time.  As time goes on, I conquer more and more of these little things and before I know it, I won't even be thinking about it anymore.  

But until then...

I think it's important to celebrate these little milestones; pat myself on the back for stepping out there and doing something uncomfortable and different.  After all, that's what living overseas is all about.


7 comments:

  1. Well done! I'm the same way :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree! I read a similar post recently-I thought it was yours...perhaps not. Meeting new friends abroad is another massive milestone!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cheers to you! I am the same way and get anxious and really stressed when I don't know how to do something. Like when I moved to NY and had to learn to navigate the subways- I think there were several times I would rather have cried than walked onto the wrong train platform again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. YES! For the longest time when I first moved to Canada, the money really freaked me out. I didn't want to seem like I didn't know what I was doing as I counted out loonies in lieu of dollar bills! Way to go, Jay!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I often even have a script!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ha totally know what that's all about - I just had my first actual conversation in German and was beyond giddy. I love finding other expat bloggers so I'm glad I found my way to your blog (maybe through Across the Pond?). Anyway, I'm your newest follower and can't wait to read more adventures

    ReplyDelete
  7. The first time a waiter speaks back to you in the native language instead of English is a big deal, too. Finally they begin to realize that you are not just another American tourist. It's a wonderful feeling!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! Thanks for taking the time to leave one!

These days, I'm replying to comments directly in the comment feed. Check back!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
by mlekoshi