Blog #2: Life is a rollercoaster just got to ride it!

As I hit the two month milestone in London I’ve added several songs to my relocation repertoire. These include Beautiful Day by U2 as Spring blooms and the joy of slightly warmer days, clearer skies and sunnier dispositions are among us, and God Save the King, the U.K. national anthem in celebration of King Charles III Coronation. This blog’s title was inspired by Ronan Keating’s, Life is a Rollercoaster as over the past month I’ve had to adjust my sails to settle into the realities of expat living!

Full disclosure: I re-wrote this piece several times presenting a snapshot of the moment. Through doing so, I discovered that no one second, minute or hour is the same in a relocation and the best help I could be to others is by sharing the truth: that everything is not bound to go as planned and there will be immense highs and lows when embarking on a mission of such grand scale!

“A true warrior, like tea, shows his strength in hot water” – Chinese Proverb.

I reflected on this mighty Chinese proverb a lot this month. There is a resilience in spirit one requires to adapt physically and mentally to a relocation. While you can plan most aspects of a move, the emotional dishevel is underestimated I think, and something one does not necessarily come equipped for: Excitement to explore a new city, longing for family and remnants of home, stresses of apartments and job hunts, adjusting to time zones, joys of meeting new friends, and seeing old ones more regularly.

I’ve had the opportunity to explore the city and all its wonders – from wandering the canals of Little Venice down to Camden Markets, to learning more about the rich history of the nation at Churchill’s War Rooms, taking in the colours, vintage flair and aromas of Portobello Road, and indulging in long walks where I constantly stumble across new corners and end up exploring areas I wouldn’t have otherwise!

A shift in the mood of my explorations led to a more sombre moment in late April where I travelled to France to attend the ANZAC Day celebrations at Villers-Bretonneux in the Somme Valley. I was fortunate to visit the area in 2014 on my first ever overseas trip with my school group where we understood the critical importance of the battles taking place in the region during WWI. This was an incredibly humbling experience and set the tone for my travels. I believe experiences like these ground us as humans and are vital to our awareness of the past to make for a better future, as beautifully articulated in the below quote.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” – George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905.

The intensity of excitement with a relocation is balanced out at times by overwhelm. As I enter my third month and start my professional life in London next week (more to come on that!), here are my top five tips for looking after yourself while adjusting to life abroad:

?? Prioritise rest – In moving to a new city, you naturally want to find an apartment, lock in a job and hit all the major tourist sites as soon as you land! I personally hit the six week mark and was totally exhausted. I felt guilty for staying home but was reminded by a mentor on the importance of rest. Remember, you are living the dream now and staying in with a good book or attending a pilates class is ok. In fact, it’s essential to filling your cup!

?? Balanced body – Research tells us that it can take up to 21 days to form a new habit (if you haven’t read already, Atomic Habits by James Clear is a must!). I think the same can be said for adjusting to new foods, climates, timezones, weather patterns, etc when moving abroad. While I’m not a big foodie, it can be tough to eat a healthy balanced diet when wanting to immerse oneself in the local cuisine and hopping between temporary accommodation. For me, being settled into my own apartment with a kitchen to prepare meals was a key contributor to my physical well being. My advice? Try to stay consistent but not overly regimented with your meal plan as hitting the lively restaurant and local pub scene is a social necessity too!

?? Regular self assessment – Being aware of the impact your environment has on your behaviour must not be neglected! Responses, triggers and variables can be heightened in periods of immense change. Monitoring your thoughts and feelings as they arise should be handled with great delicacy. As the saying goes, "flowers cannot blossom without sunshine" and you too will not be at you're best if you aren't able to re-frame, re-calibrate and reset as you adapt to your new surroundings!

?? Look ahead – It's easy to get bogged down in the weeds when things aren't happening as quickly or simply as you had hoped. It can make you spend too much time thinking about the “what ifs” and “not haves” rather than the possibilities around you! My #1 tip – please book yourself a treat trip after you have ticked off your move abroad life milestones of finding an apartment + job. I have planned a special trip to Milan in June to see my favourite Italian pop singer in concert. Non vedo l’ora!

?? Be kind to yourself – Finally and most importantly, put yourself first. When we’re run down, our inner voice can be less positive than we need it to be. How you treat yourself is a reflection of how you are inviting the world to treat you. Remember, “There is no problem on earth that can’t be ameliorated by a hot bath and a cup of tea!” – Jasper Fforde.

Are you adapting to a new country, environment, location or surrounding? How are you finding the change and your response to it? Please share in the comments, along with any feedback you have!

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