Invest in yourself

Moving to a new country, starting a new job, settling into a new apartment, navigating a new city while finding where to bank, send your mail, go to the doctor, and put your recycling. Who chooses to do all of the those things at once? The life of an international teacher involves some pretty tumultuous transitions every couple of years. Some transitions are easier than others and some will really rock your boat. We often inevitably stretch ourselves so thin that we hit a few walls or find ourselves in tears. Largely, this is because we do all of these new things without our usual support system around us. We're away from the familiar, our families, and our friends as we build this new life. Some of us are lucky to have a partner to do this with, but even then sometimes the two don't have the same experience during this transition.

I believe the best way to get through this transition is to choose to invest in yourself. Do what makes you happy as much as possible. Don't force yourself to go to every welcome party, or run around trying to get to know your new city, those events and city aren't going anywhere. Instead find a yoga class that will make you glow. Find a restaurant that transports you to another place. Seek out an exhibit that allows you to play and smile. During my first month in a new country the boat has been rocked. Going to Yayoi Kusama's art exhibit in Singapore, finding a community yoga class on a Saturday morning, and finding a delicious Sri Lanaken restaurant have kept me going. I've chosen to invest time for myself, even though the white walls won't paint themselves.