Hey girl,
I know you’re busy. You live in a bustling international city, your kids go to school 25 minutes away, they're both involved in activities, and you're teaching a class on Sunday mornings. You also lead the Bible club lesson on Friday, and you've got local friends you want to see and grow with after the family-centered Christmas holidays and travel.
You still need to take the driving test and the language exam and let's not even get into the things you just want to do: an online theology course, a schedule for being creative, a workout program, a little supplemental nature study or reading lessons with the kids, a day trip for a host country history lesson.
Take a deep breath and enjoy it all because, in two months, you'll be moving into "unprecedented times."
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I’ve been wearing my glasses these days. For those of you who wear glasses too, you know that when paired with a mask, the combination is not ideal. Usually, I wear contacts 97% of the time, so it may seem counterintuitive that now would be the time I make the switch. But at its root, the reason I’m wearing glasses more often than usual comes down to the same reason I’m wearing the mask: COVID. More specifically, I’m on my last bottle of contact solution brought from the States. Since our country’s borders are closed, I’m not heading back to get more solution (or anything else on the “America List” I keep in my notes app) anytime soon.
Read MoreOne of the hardest parts about expat life is being so far away when tragedy strikes your home country. You want to hug your loved ones, process things out loud with your closest friends, and be near the ones you hold closest to your heart. In today’s episode, we talk with Tamika about what it’s been like to be a Black American woman, married to an Austrian, and living far away from the States as racial tension builds during a global pandemic.
Tamika shares what it’s been like to emotionally process events from afar, and how she and her children have become the go-to American source for their local friends and peers to ask questions about the current events in the U.S. We also discuss the delicate balance of talking with our TCKs about the hard things so they won’t be naive to what is happening in the world — and most importantly, in their own home country.
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If there is one word that is universally used and understood in the Year of Our Lord 2020, it is the word interruption. Across the globe, everything has been interrupted — family life, education, careers, finances, church, sports, future planning. We now realize our future is not what what we were expecting, and that is a tough and unsettling place to be.
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When you experience a major life change (moving to a new country, starting a new job, getting married, or isolating during a global pandemic), it's natural to shift into survival mode. For many expats, significant changes occur together, so survival mode is a given during those seasons.
But what happens when you stall—get stuck—there?
A few months ago, I realized survival mode had become my daily reality.
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Yesterday I made pumpkin bread with frozen pumpkin puree that a friend had made from scratch and tucked away, intending to use herself. Today I made pot roast for dinner with beef from their freezer. These friends had to make the abrupt decision to leave their home in Rwanda due to medical reasons. Even though the airport closed last week, some embassies worked to figure out a handful more flights out this week. So, these friends took the last-minute opportunity, packed up their home and two small children in a matter of days, texted out the contents of their freezer and pantry to those of us who lived in the neighborhood to come pick up, and — a few hours later — were headed to the airport, unsure of how many months it will be until they can return.
Read MoreCan I just say that COVID-19 is really messing up some things? Like my plans. My husband and I had a much-needed weekend away planned. That came and went and is still much needed. My daughter is a senior this year. Her cap and gown are sitting in the packaging and she is making jokes about graduating online after all. We homeschooled for so long and she was looking forward to a graduation with her class. Her prom dress is hanging with the tags still on it in her room, and I’m trying to brainstorm a get together that fits in with the current restrictions on gatherings where we are. Our friends are trapped in country with expiring visas. Global workers who are stateside are having their much-needed fundraising functions cancelled. Schools are closing. Oh, the list goes on.
“The only good thing to come out of this are the memes,” I’ve muttered to my family.
But then I had to repent.
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