About two months ago I really started to make an effort at transitioning to life back in the States. I know, by that point I'd already been home nine months, the same amount of time I was even in TZ. But when I came home last June, I immediately occupied myself with finding a job, then found one, then dealt with transitioning/adjusting to it, then got engaged (whoo!), and then... then I finally started getting my life organized bit by bit, and in March realized it was time to focus on me.
Repatriation is the word, and it means returning and adjusting to your country of origin. Handling repatriation is a very important step in taking care of yourself—mind, body and soul. Just as there are transitions to deal with as an ex-pat abroad, there is processing to be done once you've returned home. March was when I started paying attention to this and finally started taking steps to process my life in Dar.
Repatriation is the word, and it means returning and adjusting to your country of origin. Handling repatriation is a very important step in taking care of yourself—mind, body and soul. Just as there are transitions to deal with as an ex-pat abroad, there is processing to be done once you've returned home. March was when I started paying attention to this and finally started taking steps to process my life in Dar.
One of those steps was reading this article. I read it multiple times within days of finding it and I think about what I read in it all the time.
So here I am. "Summer." Time on my hands to plan our wedding and hunt for a teaching job, but most importantly for me, time to process my beautiful life in Dar es Salaam.
To start, I've decided to compile a list of quirky habits I picked up living in Tanzania. The way these habits continue to pop up truly amazes me, as I've been home 11 months now. It sure doesn't seem like it. Not at all.
1. Make sure my computer is always 80%+ charged. (Because you never know when the power will go out and you need something to keep you entertained at home after dark!)
2. Throw away perfectly good milk (sometimes opened, sometimes unopened) from the fridge because it's been in there a week. (And therefore must have gone bad since the power goes out and things can't keep in the fridge longer than 2 days max.)
3. Lay on my bed and watch the trees move in the breeze outside my window. (Because what else is there to do with the power is out and I'm about to die of heatstroke?)
4. Don't respond to text messages in a timely manner. (Because I how can I when I get more than two a day?)
5. Force myself to wash my hair regularly (which I do! It's just forced LOL Sorry, sounds gross LOL) (Because in my imagination brushing out my wet hair will will take forever—15 min—and I fear it will seriously hurt.)
6. Turn off even the smallest outlet/charger when not being used. (Because you don't want to run out of electricity! Save it! Save it!)
7. Crave ramen—and only ramen—for dinner on a sweltering day. (Because that's all I can cook on days without power! As in every other day, pretty much.)
8. Happily watch TV shows/movies on my laptop instead of on a bigger screen TV. (Because anything's bigger than my 8-inch DVD player in Dar.)
9. Drive without the radio/music. (Because, unless it's a "party bajaj," I only have the sound of life to listen to as I go along!)
10. Wear my hair any way except in a messy bun. (Because when you live in humidity and wear it up for nine months straight, messy bun takes on a new meaning: hot mess.)
Joyfully,
LG
