"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Helen Keller
This is pretty much how I am now viewing this new chapter in our lives. It is time to move from our comfort zones and extend ourselves, after all, how many people truly get to start again at this stage of their lives. So, we are giving up everything that we know, everything South African to learn everything German! While I am sad to be leaving behind all our special family and friends, the opportunities that await are so exciting. These goodbyes are so sad, more so for the girls as all they know is about to change. They do not understand all the reasons now for us wanting to take this opportunity, but hopefully in a few years time, they will understand. With our time for moving drawing closer and closer, there are more and more farewells - highlighting our reality. It makes butterflies in the tummy with all that has to be organised, and for all the changes that are about to take place...from weather and seasons, to new languages. Here's to change and new beginnings!
This post was from the idea of my original blog...1 December 2012. Life overwhelmed me to such an extent that I couldn't even think straight sometimes! As my mother used to say "getting old is not for sissies"...so is moving countries when you are over forty not for sissies!
In the last two and a half years, we have truly lived up to all the expectations that I imagined in 2012. We have tried to integrate as much as possible, which has truly taken us from our comfort zones. We have tried to learn a new language (I have discovered in the process that I am linguistically challenged!) and integrate into a new culture (even though I will forever be an "auslander"). This could not be more different from the life we grew up with! Everything here works and is efficient, from public transport to postage. One of the reasons is that you have to pay for everything (no such thing as a free ride), and police take petty crime seriously as they don't always have as many horrors to deal with on a daily basis. Life here is more organised, but more mundane. But because everything works so well, there are few challenges to overcome - so things become somewhat boring. Who would have thought that we would actually resort to being a single car family? Despite my assumption of more resources being used here than in Africa, there is more recycling awareness, including mandatory separate plastic, paper and bio collections. Of course, there is education surrounding this and a cost involved too.
We have learned about real seasons - like the ones I read in storybooks as a child! Spring is my favourite when everything comes to life again. It starts way before the first shoots begin to show...it begins with the singing of the birds at pre-dawn...then you know, spring is on its way. It only gets better day by day, eating away at the winter depression. It would be nice to have a little more sunlight though! But I suppose that has it's advantages too as there is less risk of skin cancer! Everything has a positive side! Summer is just summer - hot, fun and outdoors...you do have to be careful of cyclists here, else you are liable to being runover! Autumn is also beautiful with the changing colours....raking up leaves not so much fun...but hey, the positive is that you burn some extra calories in the process. Winter....is nice with fresh snow. Old snow is horrible and dirty, and too much snow is hard work....calories again! Fresh snow is magical. I am very grateful for central heating and the blessing of being able to keep warm when it is so cold.
We have also had the most wonderful garden - complete with a lake in the middle of suburbia! That will be difficult to top!
The comfort zones that we have left behind are too numerous to mention. But we could never go back to the people we were before the move. So, now, with the experience we have gained, we are preparing to move continents yet again - this time to North America, with all the challenges that face us there! This time, as least we know what to expect, not that that makes things easier. Sometimes it is better not to know!
That is how I came up with the idea of Project 365...where I have seen people document each day in a year. It is a nice way to look around and be grateful for different blessings, and a way to show our friends and family who are so far away little glimpses into our daily lives. So, I choose to live a life of "daring adventure, or nothing"!
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