Moving home has never been easy....it will probably never will be. But with a little bit of planning and preparation, the move can be a lot more stress-free than you think.
You see, my family and I moved from the UK to Pakistan last year (2018). While it was a big move for all of us, and we had to go through changes we had never expected, we all pretty much managed to adapt ourselves to the new environment quite well. And that too in a short span of time.
The question: How did we do so quickly?
We did it by:
1. Being Mentally Prepared for What's Coming Our Way
Any change in life can be overwhelming- both financially and emotionally. We just have to be prepared for it. Before we moved, we told our minds to expect all this. And guess what? It helped us accept the changes far more easily than we had thought. It helped us become flexible and be ready for new things such as the culture, food, traditions, the way people do things, the new education system for our kids etc that we were not accustomed to.
Yes, getting attached to what you we were used to emotionally is a part of human nature. A few awwws and tears have been a part of our big move. All we did was accept them and take 'now' as a new happy and exciting challenge so that our 'then' was easier to be a part of.
2. Being Adaptable and Flexible
Once we were mentally prepared , it became a lot easier for us to flex and mould ourselves into the new environment. We knew we might not get things that we loved or were so used to. We knew we won't get neighbours we once loved to talk to. We told ourselves- "Hey, now this new place is where we'll have to live, whether we like it now or not".
And you know what? It was wiser to like it than to hate it.
We found friends here and the next door neighbour soon became our next best buddy. We didn't shy away from going out and saying hello to them or inviting them home for a cuppa. We shared our experiences with them. We talked to them about theirs. We loved sharing something nice that we'd cooked with them and we soon feel like we've known them forever.
2. Making it an Experience
When we travel, say for a holiday, we are always excited. We know we will get to see new places, get a break from the usual, explore a new neighborhood, meet new people and experience different adventures. We told ourselves that moving somewhere new should be no different. It's going to be our next home, afterall. We have to make it an enjoyable experience for ourselves. We got all packed up and excited to explore the new place, a new neighbourhood, new faces, and taste the best food available here (We get some of the best food here in Pakistan and all sorts of cuisines to try to). Going out and about and trying new restaurants is all more exciting than we thought.
Nonetheless, a few compromises were a part and parcel of it all. We accepted them willingly and moved on with life.
3. Learning how to be More Organised:
When moving, we are actually doing a BIIIIG spring clean. We declutter our entire house, one room at a time. We keep things we need the most and either discard, sell or give away the rest to a charity.
We started all this nice and early to stay organised and packed our goods before hand so we didn't have any last minute clutters to deal with.
4. Teaching Ourselves that Home is Only Where We Are Together as a Family
Wherever in the world we our, as long as our family is living in happiness and peace, that's where we make our home. We keep it alive with our presence. We make it beautiful with our love and care for each other. That's what we are doing in our home in Karachi too.
5. Finding a Friendly Face Among Those Strange New Faces
Sure, we were surrounded by a sea of people we never knew as soon as we moved to Karachi. Karachi is a big and busy city. And it's become far more crowded that it was 10 years ago, when I was living here. Initially it seemed like I knew nobody around me. I felt I had parted from the nicest friends I had in the UK and was living among strangers. Sure, my parents and siblings were here already, but I also knew that among all those new faces, was my next best friend. It was just a matter of finding them and I found them pretty soon.
7. Taking All the Time We Needed to Settle In
We did not unpack our stuff the same day we landed. We did not rush things and unpack it all the next day either. We took time to relax and get over the fatigue of travelling with kids. We gave ourselves time to adjust in.
All we did during those early days was to get the essentials and start leading a simple minimilistic life without much. Our cargo arrived several months after we landed. But once we felt like settling in a bit, we took time in re-doing our space and finding what we can afford to decorate our space and make it look more tamed. We worked on our comfort first. Luxury came in much later.
8. Becoming Independent
Moving has taught us to be much more independent and do things we had not imagined doing before. We have stepped out of our comfort zone to find activities and things that we enjoy like hanging out with friends late at night, leaving the kids with grandparents and going shopping alone. We are trying to make the most out of this experience and having the luxury of having grandparents for childcare and a maid at home to delegate the task of cleaning the house to.
9. Making Ourselves Feel Good About What We Are Doing
Back in the UK, we had not known much about poverty. Here, in Pakistan, we see old people still working late either by selling fruits and vegetables or by doing laborious jobs, every single day to win bread for their family. We poor women begging in the streets or selling on busy roads. We see little children trying to find food in piles of garbage or working in a garage for a mere 100 rupees a day. We feel for them. We understand their struggle. We understand what it's like to be poor and go hungry. That's why we try to help them by offering food or monetary help. We buy from them instead of buying from supermarkets just so we can help them a bit. These random acts of kindness go a long way. They bring us that satisfaction that we had never experienced before.
10. Being Content with What We Have
When we were moving, we had to give away a lot of things we were really fond of. We just could not bring them with us because of their size, weight or other reasons. We missed them but we soon got over them.
Here, in Pakistan, we enjoy all the basic necessities of life and more and are leading a perfectly good life without the luxuries we once enjoyed. We still feel content.
It’s okay to not have everything in life. It’s okay not to have a perfectly set up home. We try to play, talk, laugh, go out and have fun with all we have.
We are grateful for having enough to enjoy a perfectly beautiful life with a beautiful family.
You see, my family and I moved from the UK to Pakistan last year (2018). While it was a big move for all of us, and we had to go through changes we had never expected, we all pretty much managed to adapt ourselves to the new environment quite well. And that too in a short span of time.
The question: How did we do so quickly?
We did it by:
1. Being Mentally Prepared for What's Coming Our Way
Any change in life can be overwhelming- both financially and emotionally. We just have to be prepared for it. Before we moved, we told our minds to expect all this. And guess what? It helped us accept the changes far more easily than we had thought. It helped us become flexible and be ready for new things such as the culture, food, traditions, the way people do things, the new education system for our kids etc that we were not accustomed to.
Yes, getting attached to what you we were used to emotionally is a part of human nature. A few awwws and tears have been a part of our big move. All we did was accept them and take 'now' as a new happy and exciting challenge so that our 'then' was easier to be a part of.
2. Being Adaptable and Flexible
Once we were mentally prepared , it became a lot easier for us to flex and mould ourselves into the new environment. We knew we might not get things that we loved or were so used to. We knew we won't get neighbours we once loved to talk to. We told ourselves- "Hey, now this new place is where we'll have to live, whether we like it now or not".
And you know what? It was wiser to like it than to hate it.
We found friends here and the next door neighbour soon became our next best buddy. We didn't shy away from going out and saying hello to them or inviting them home for a cuppa. We shared our experiences with them. We talked to them about theirs. We loved sharing something nice that we'd cooked with them and we soon feel like we've known them forever.
2. Making it an Experience
When we travel, say for a holiday, we are always excited. We know we will get to see new places, get a break from the usual, explore a new neighborhood, meet new people and experience different adventures. We told ourselves that moving somewhere new should be no different. It's going to be our next home, afterall. We have to make it an enjoyable experience for ourselves. We got all packed up and excited to explore the new place, a new neighbourhood, new faces, and taste the best food available here (We get some of the best food here in Pakistan and all sorts of cuisines to try to). Going out and about and trying new restaurants is all more exciting than we thought.
Nonetheless, a few compromises were a part and parcel of it all. We accepted them willingly and moved on with life.
3. Learning how to be More Organised:
When moving, we are actually doing a BIIIIG spring clean. We declutter our entire house, one room at a time. We keep things we need the most and either discard, sell or give away the rest to a charity.
We started all this nice and early to stay organised and packed our goods before hand so we didn't have any last minute clutters to deal with.
4. Teaching Ourselves that Home is Only Where We Are Together as a Family
Wherever in the world we our, as long as our family is living in happiness and peace, that's where we make our home. We keep it alive with our presence. We make it beautiful with our love and care for each other. That's what we are doing in our home in Karachi too.
5. Finding a Friendly Face Among Those Strange New Faces
Sure, we were surrounded by a sea of people we never knew as soon as we moved to Karachi. Karachi is a big and busy city. And it's become far more crowded that it was 10 years ago, when I was living here. Initially it seemed like I knew nobody around me. I felt I had parted from the nicest friends I had in the UK and was living among strangers. Sure, my parents and siblings were here already, but I also knew that among all those new faces, was my next best friend. It was just a matter of finding them and I found them pretty soon.
7. Taking All the Time We Needed to Settle In
We did not unpack our stuff the same day we landed. We did not rush things and unpack it all the next day either. We took time to relax and get over the fatigue of travelling with kids. We gave ourselves time to adjust in.
All we did during those early days was to get the essentials and start leading a simple minimilistic life without much. Our cargo arrived several months after we landed. But once we felt like settling in a bit, we took time in re-doing our space and finding what we can afford to decorate our space and make it look more tamed. We worked on our comfort first. Luxury came in much later.
8. Becoming Independent
Moving has taught us to be much more independent and do things we had not imagined doing before. We have stepped out of our comfort zone to find activities and things that we enjoy like hanging out with friends late at night, leaving the kids with grandparents and going shopping alone. We are trying to make the most out of this experience and having the luxury of having grandparents for childcare and a maid at home to delegate the task of cleaning the house to.
9. Making Ourselves Feel Good About What We Are Doing
Back in the UK, we had not known much about poverty. Here, in Pakistan, we see old people still working late either by selling fruits and vegetables or by doing laborious jobs, every single day to win bread for their family. We poor women begging in the streets or selling on busy roads. We see little children trying to find food in piles of garbage or working in a garage for a mere 100 rupees a day. We feel for them. We understand their struggle. We understand what it's like to be poor and go hungry. That's why we try to help them by offering food or monetary help. We buy from them instead of buying from supermarkets just so we can help them a bit. These random acts of kindness go a long way. They bring us that satisfaction that we had never experienced before.
10. Being Content with What We Have
When we were moving, we had to give away a lot of things we were really fond of. We just could not bring them with us because of their size, weight or other reasons. We missed them but we soon got over them.
Here, in Pakistan, we enjoy all the basic necessities of life and more and are leading a perfectly good life without the luxuries we once enjoyed. We still feel content.
It’s okay to not have everything in life. It’s okay not to have a perfectly set up home. We try to play, talk, laugh, go out and have fun with all we have.
We are grateful for having enough to enjoy a perfectly beautiful life with a beautiful family.
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