Today is the last day of zomervakantie.

Finally. *grins*

Tomorrow the world will right itself as husbands go off to work and children go back to school and mothers across the region will wave everyone off with a tear in their eye and when the door is closed…they will dance down the hall and enjoy the first solitary cup of tea of the new school year.

This has been a great summer. The weather has cooperated for the most part. We spent two weeks in the south of France, enjoying the beach and the sun. It was a nice resort but I think that next summer, we’ll go to Croatia.

I’ve been pretty busy with J’s football team and the football club in general. We’re all working hard on recruitment, training and the not so fun behind the scenes stuff that come with any organization. I’m having a great time and J is having a blast playing. It’s a really good thing for both of us.

Knitting is knitting. I’m working on a pair of socks for an old friend from high school’s wife. He saw  them on my Facebook and thought his wife would like a pair. Of course I said yes! Any wife with a husband that thinks of her like that deserves the joy of handknitted socks. I’m also working on an Alice Starmore sweater for both E and J. I love her patterned stuff and her colourwork stuff is just inspiring. Between her and EZ, I’m wanting to become a better knitter. That’s not a bad thing.

It doesn’t matter how long I’m here, the entitlement attitude and general whiny-ass outlook of some expats never ceases to amaze me. One thing I’ve learned is that our own attitude towards life determines our success and/or failure in life. Life as an expat/immigrant is hard. No doubt about that. Especially when you move to country with a different language than your own mother tongue. Cultural differences can be frustrating and confusing at best and maddening at worst. If you are invited by a country to come work there, I think it’s only right to expect that country to sweeten the pot a little. After all, they need your skills and expertise. So yes, tax breaks and usually economic perks are the norm.

But if you move for a relationship, then no, you’re not going to get those breaks. You choose to come here for love. You’re not actually bringing anything to your new country of residence. That’s especially true if you refuse to learn the language. And if you refuse to learn the language or accept that things are not ‘just like home’, don’t be surprised if your life here is extremely hard. Furthermore, if you can’t be bothered to do those things, don’t be shocked when finding employment is even harder. Companies don’t want people that reek of negativity and loathing for their surroundings. And if it’s a matter of survival for your family that you work, you walk into every interview radiating hope and enthusiasm, no matter what the position is.

I know I complain sometimes about the long hours E works. It gets lonely sometimes and frustrating. But at the end of the day, I’m proud of him. He works hard and provides for his family. I’m a lucky woman to be married to such a man. I may not have everything my heart desires but I have everything that I need and a good bit of what I want. And at the end of the day, my washing machine works, if it breaks, I can replace it and I’m not getting cash advances off our credit card to go to the laundromat.

I’ve always been a firm believer in following your life dreams, but at some point in time, if you have to choose between your dreams and supporting your family, you choose your family. Doesn’t it just suck being a grown-up?

Tomorrow we’ll take J to his first day at his new school. Then I’ll bike over to the gym to register my fat tookus and hope that by Christmas, I’ll have lost some of this extra baggage I’m carrying around. Then I’ll come home, work on laundry and see if I can get this house back into the school year routine. It’s going to be a bit different this year, since J won’t be coming home for lunch. I’ll miss him but I’ll also cherish the quiet time to get things done.

Tags: expats, General Life, Knitting, School, vacation