I’m still feeling moments of expat fatigue, but I’ve seen some progress in terms of adapting. I’ll admit, a lot of that comes from the amount of culture shock I had when I went to Istanbul (post coming soon, I promise!), as returning to Bulgaria was a relief to my overwhelmed senses. Sometimes I still feel like Stitch in this picture, as if I’m an alien in a new world and I do everything wrong (like wearing a toilet plunger as a hat!), but this week those were only moments instead of days. While next week I might be sporting a “toilet plunger hat,” I could just as easily have a full conversation in Bulgarian! God has been faithful in this time of adjusting and it’s a comfort to know that even if I feel completely out of place and overwhelmed, I am always welcome to come to Him and find rest. Besides, His strength is made perfect in weakness, and dealing with culture shock is definitely a time of weakness!
The culture shock I've experienced so far has been more insidious than I expected. I enjoy traveling and I’ve fallen in love with Bulgaria. Any complaints I have are complaints I’d have anywhere (like it’s cold and I can’t wait for warm weather!). In January I was studying Bulgarian like it was my job (actually, it kind of is…) in addition to teaching, practicing a new-to-me format for lesson planning (and a grand total of 4 years after getting my Masters in Education, I think I’m finally starting to understand some of what my professors tried to teach me!) and settling into my new home and friendships. By the end of the month, I was exhausted. I was having trouble sleeping past 7:30am, even if I went to bed late. My brain hurt from trying to force a new language to take up permanent residence. Slowly every part of my life became overwhelming, from trying to communicate in Bulgarian to washing my hair.
I’m still feeling moments of expat fatigue, but I’ve seen some progress in terms of adapting. I’ll admit, a lot of that comes from the amount of culture shock I had when I went to Istanbul (post coming soon, I promise!), as returning to Bulgaria was a relief to my overwhelmed senses. Sometimes I still feel like Stitch in this picture, as if I’m an alien in a new world and I do everything wrong (like wearing a toilet plunger as a hat!), but this week those were only moments instead of days. While next week I might be sporting a “toilet plunger hat,” I could just as easily have a full conversation in Bulgarian! God has been faithful in this time of adjusting and it’s a comfort to know that even if I feel completely out of place and overwhelmed, I am always welcome to come to Him and find rest. Besides, His strength is made perfect in weakness, and dealing with culture shock is definitely a time of weakness!
I appreciated reading your post! The culture shocks may not be huge, but they certainly can add up to a lot. (I don't have first-hand experience with living in another country, but I know how exhausting little things can be even close to home!) : ) Comments are closed.
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Elisabeth CarySharing the love of Christ to make known the hope of Christ in Bulgaria. Archives
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