We’re officially Havana-bound, now…
Our HouseHold Effects [HHE] and the Unaccompanied Air Baggage [UAB] will soon be on their way to our next Post Assignment!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUPwuR2B5Oh/?taken-by=expatmomof3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUaFKTZhWMa/?taken-by=expatmomof3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUcdln0B61H/?taken-by=expatmomof3
Not much to report… our expat lives on-the-go continue to move according to plan.
We’re, although, entering the countdown mode: family pack-out scheduled for May 22nd; pre-packing, sorting, desperation mode should likely kick in about now ๐
So much to do, and yet, not enough time, very common complaint from our fellow Foreign Service friends.
The Stress is Real!
Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done to avoid it. The moment the pre-packing survey takes place, we [always!] come to the realization:
“Why do we keep doing this?” or “Why did I buy this gigantic piece of furniture/decoration/local artistic whatever??”
“Why?”
And the worst part, is the look of disbelieve the movers give you hat very moment:
“WOW! We’ve encountered some strange people in this line of work”… followed by their words of ‘comfort’:
“Don’t worry Sir, we’ve seen worse” ๐
All that said, The Mirandas have decided to begin our ‘pre-moving entertaining mode’, a proven strategy to safeguard our healthy intra-family relationships, and our sanity! ๐
Here are a few examples of our recent weekend activities [links will take you to the images]:
And… cooking, hostingย and sharing our challenges and lessons learned with friends…
Or, taking a break from work! ๐
Or even, enjoying uniquely strange moments with like-minded, equally stressed expat folks! ๐
I believe we’re ready to begin saying goodbye to Bolivia – our home for the past two years – with a big THANK YOU! ๐ฎ
This is another infographic about expats (see the sources at the end of the infographic). I chose to post it here on my blog, right after the post about the Sea Change Mentoring symposium I attended last Saturday, because many issues listed in this infographic have a major impact on expact children, and Sea Change Mentoring is one place to contact when facing issues like these.
Expat life is not as easy and smooth as many people think. Especially the different stages of expatriate adjustment should be taken seriously. These stages affect parents and children, and often not simultaneously. This is exactly why parents and children should reach out for help.
Another point seems very important to me: that expats or people who envisage this kind of life, should consider longer stays in a new location in order to give their children the opportunity to pass from a โgradual adjustmentโโฆ
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Not sure if I was fortunate or not, to marry a typical โtype-Aโ person, almost obsessive when it comes to organizationโฆ
On the other hand, Iโm not as organized, but I love seeing things โin boxesโ, or at least, stowed away (out of my sight!)
That said, and considering that weโre constantly moving because of work, one can image how difficult it become when itโs mandatory to deal with “excessive clutter and paperworkโ.
Not sure if I was fortunate or not, to marry a typical โtype-Aโ person, almost obsessive when it comes to organizationโฆOn the other hand, Iโm not as organized, but I love seeing things โin boxesโ, or at least, stowed away (out of my sight!)
That said, and considering that weโreย constantly movingย because of work, one can image how difficult it become when itโs mandatory to deal with “excessive clutter and paperworkโ.
At times, the definition of โexcessiveโ has created some tension in our household, due to the fact that the โduo of managersโ end up disagreeing on what should/could/would be discarded/trashed/shredded!
And the common result is: โdarling, do you have any idea where the envelope, I left here last week, is?โ
If it takes more than 10 seconds for the answer to come out, itโs a bad signโฆ If the answer contains anything like โyou knowโฆ I was just organizing these drawersโฆ andโฆโ itโs even worse! At that very moment, the very โdiplomatic answerโ is a clear sign that your print outs/documents/personal notes are gone!! So, in order to avoid conflicts, the best solution is simply reduce the amount of clutter, or, if possible, store it away before your mate has a chance to find and โre-organizeโ it!
Currently, our lives are filled with useful and not-so-much paperwork, which we MUST care with our hearts, whenever we travel or move. Hereโs a brief idea:
It is not all of it. Some documents were photocopied before the initial move, and originals are safely kept, while the photocopies travel the world.
Safeguarding your personal belongings is a must for the traveling-pants family: preparing โvideo inventoriesโ is a great, paperless strategy. So far, itโs been working for us, and the best of all โ it is clutter-free!
Phew! It makes me tired just thinking about boxing it all out for the next moveโฆ
Luckily, there are ways to make sure our most important folders are safe and well-taken care: pay close attention to them. All times. Anywhere.
Right now, Iโm not organizing anything. Just trying to keep our documents drawer “bug”- & “fungi“- free. Thatโs right! One of the โbonusesโ of living in a tropical settingโฆ I’m an environmentalist, but not as much!!
Hey, I feel like Iโve already done a lot of โmental organizationโ and planning.ย I believe I deserve a break from this hard work!
Since weโre talking about โpaperโ(work), let me โwrapโ this post up by reminding myself it’s ‘bidding season’. For the ones not too familiar with the term, let me just say it takes the ‘stress levels’ up a couple of notches, and it pretty much tends to define our family’s future for the next couple of years! ๐ฎ It’s also ‘promotion season’… Luckily, hubby did well on that front, which is a relief, at last…ย
Now, just sit tight and wait for the [hopefully positive!] results of bidding!
An open letter to my nomad children
Here is the question:
“If you could live a nomadic life, would you? Where would you go? How would you decide? What would life be like without a โhome baseโ?”
Answer:
Oh, well, I guess I already live a ‘nomadic life’… Early this year I tried to ‘map it out’, describing the different places I’ve lived, as a growing child in Brazil, due to my parents work duties; later, as a researcher, and finally, as a spouse married to the ‘Foreign Service’, raising our three third-culture children, in a similar nomadic way I’d been brought up! I fell like this ‘circle’ will never end… and… why should it? ๐ฎ
Here is the question:
“If you could live a nomadic life, would you? Where would you go? How would you decide? What would life be like without a โhome baseโ?”
And here, the tentative answer:
Oh, well, I guess I already live a ‘nomadic life’…ย Early this yearย I tried to ‘map it out’, describing the different places I’ve lived, as a growing child in Brazil, due to my parents work duties; later, as a researcher, and finally, as a spouse “married into the Foreign Service“, raising our three third-culture children, in a much similar nomadic way I’d been brought up!
I fell like this ‘circle’ย will never end… and… why should it? ๐ฎ
Aย couple years back when I began blogging, I decided to name this blog, representing/expressing what my [now 3] kids are: the product of their momโs and dadโs hybrid/joined cultures. Moving is part of our lives, and was part of mine, way before meeting the so-called โbetter-halfโ.
I could define myself as a ‘serial expat’, but in a very positive way. The idea of being a ‘rolling stone’ always attracted me, and I was lucky enough to find a match who shared the same ‘itch’… we can’t stay put for long! ๐ฎ
And the best part: we’re not alone in this type of lifestyle. Recently, the movie Argo brought outย a side of the Foreign Service that only few knew about – and it made us happy. It hasย made us proud. We’re proud to be ‘that type of nomads‘…
There are so many bloggers sharing their life stories, experiences,ย travels and joys about the foreign service! They talk about learning new languages, new cultures, adapting/adjusting… moving, and re-adapting… Some time ago, I wrote about an intriguing reality: “moving is the third most stressful life event“… for real! ๐ฎ
Again, the circle does not end… why should it? We embrace the nomadic life… and welcome the changes!
Thanks for the inspiration! โฅ
Like herShe’s not a baby anymore… better to say, she’s a young lady… a ‘seรฑorita’… ๐ฎ
She’s not a baby anymore… better to say, she’s a young lady… a ‘seรฑorita’… ๐ฎ
Like her parents, this young lady has already moved quite a bit…
She was not born in Rio de Janeiro, like her momma, not in Virginia, like her daddy. She did not have her Brazilian ‘vovรณ and vovรด’ to welcome her into this world, nor her American ‘nana and abuelito’ to greet her when she first smiled… She was born 5 years ago, while our family was stationed in Mozambique, and was fortunate enough to have the unique Pretoria (South Africa) as her birth place.
Despite not having our families around, she was [and still is!] surrounded by love, through her parents’ friends, the extended family, and her now, personal friends in Bolivia.
She’s not a baby anymore… better to say, she’s a young lady… a ‘seรฑorita’… ๐ฎ
Like her parents, this young lady has already moved quite a bit…
She was not born in Rio de Janeiro, like her momma, not in Virginia, like her daddy. She did not have her Brazilian ‘vovรณ and vovรด’ย to welcome her into this world, nor her American ‘nana and abuelito’ย to greet her when she first smiled… She was born 5 years ago, while our family was stationed in Mozambique, and was fortunate enough to have the uniqueย Pretoria (South Africa) as her birth place.
Despite not having our families around, she was [and still is!] surrounded by love, through her parents’ friends, the extended family, and her now, personal friends in Bolivia.
This morning, before getting ready for school, still recovering from the very intense and fun Carnaval in La Paz, our girl came to our bedroom, holding her index finger upright: “Mommmy, would you believe we’re only ONE DAY away from my cumple?” ๐ฎ She’s right: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and she knows it! For our family, this particular day will aways transcends all the commercialism, theย consumerism associated with the date – it goes beyond that, it’s definitely, truly, unconditionally related to LOVE. The love between parents and their daughter…
We’re pleased, lucky and grateful for all the experiences we’ve been through, and we’re grateful for having had this intense, warm, active and loving girl into our lives for the past five years… Half a decade ago, husband and I received the best gift one could ever expect for Valentine’s Day: the birth of a baby girl!ย โฅย And, for the ones who may find hard to believe that there are no boundaries, limits nor geographical barriers for friendships, that little baby girl got some visitors… friends from DC [pictured below] came to meet her, while visiting South Africa… ๐ฎ Our deepest appreciation for such a great demonstration of friendship!ย โฅ
Home is anywhere where one is able to share the joy of being alive, being its own person… Home is where we share, where we teach in exchange of learning… home is where we feel safe, surrounded by trustworthy friends… Home is the place where we share love…for a nomad like myself, trying to answer the question: “where is home” has a very unique response, because it’s a challenge to define ‘home’ for ‘serial expats’… Very personally, home is the place I feel free to be myself, and share all my passions! ๐ฎ
For this week’s photo challenge, we’re all trying to answer the question: ย ‘What is home?’ Some amazing bloggers have already done it!ย
What about you?ย โฅ
Home is anywhere where one is able to share the joy of being alive, being its own person… Home is where we share, where we teach in exchange of learning… home is where we feel safe, surrounded by trustworthy friends… Home is the place where we share love…for a nomad like myself, trying to answer the question: “where is home” has a very unique response, because it’s a challenge to define ‘home’ for ‘serial expats’… Very personally, home is the place I feel free to be myself, and share all my passions! ๐ฎ
Previous Posts from the Project “52 Bolivian Sundays”: ๐ฎ
Moving homes can be one of the most stressful times in someone’s life. Does it always have to be such a nightmare, or can there be a breezy move?
Originally aired on January 14, 2013
Hosted by: Nancy Redd
GUESTS:
Rachel Greenfield Marketing Manager, Sparefoot @sparefoot
Dean Xeros (Austin, TX) Vice President of Relocation, uShip Motors @uShip
S. D. Moore (Walnut Creek, CA) Had A Bad Moving Experience
Jeremi McManus (San Francisco, CA) Dating & Relationship Coach @jeremimcmanus
Katie Brown (Orlando, FL) Creator of the Blog “Confessions of a Young Married Couple”; Had A Bad Moving Experience @marriageconfess
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MOVING HELP: UShip
NEW: Moving Company Legislation
GUEST BLOG: Choosing The Right Moving Company
HORROR: A New Graduate’s Shipping Nightmare
SCARY: A Moving Company Held Her Stuff Hostage
TIPS: Make Moving Easier.
WOW: Moving is the 3rd Most Stressful Life Event
Moving homes can be one of the most stressful times in someone’s life. Does it always have to be such a nightmare, or can there be a breezy move?
Originally aired on January 14, 2013
Hosted by:
3rdculturechildren 