Who actually said that?! Maybe they changed their brand of toilet paper, but they certainly didn’t move across the world…
Three weeks ago we arrived in Japan. The weeks leading up to that were the most chaotic of my life. Condensing life into a few suitcases, moving out of our home, saying goodbye to loved ones, preparing to live in a country I’d never even been to. Those weeks were beyond hard. Boarding our flight, I thought, maybe this will feel like a holiday. However, landing in Japan was a shock. The industrial metropolis didn’t float my boat and the emotions of all we’d left behind hit hard.
But… after longing to return to my comparatively easy life, the joys of cheddar cheese, cashew butter, rainy days and being able to read road signs and ingredients on packets, I started to practice what I preach. Each day I found new things to be grateful for. The joys of winning on the grabber machine, enjoying the sun on my skin, the green belt round our island, the mountains, the swimming pool in our block, being able to push my shopping trolley from the supermarket right into my kitchen (possibly not meant to do that though…), the automated candy floss machine, the sushi trains, the festivals, the temples, and all those friendly, welcoming faces.
So has this change been a holiday? Eh no… but will I embrace it, use it to flourish and grow, to meet new people, to experience new cultures and go on new adventures, hell yes.
Change can seem scary. Change can be bloody hard. But change might just be what you need. Just don’t expect it to be a walk in the park. Appreciate every win and don’t compare it to what went before. And once you’ve made the scary decision to change, embrace the change for what it is now. Find the positives in every day.