I blinked and somehow it’s been a month already.
In that weird way that time works, it feels as though I’ve been here forever and only since yesterday, at the same time. In most respects, my assimilation into this place and role has been nearly seamless; a sliding effortlessly into place, coming to rest in a comfortable-yet-always-uncomfortable place understood well by global workers.
When I moved to Boston I started to write down things I was grateful for; after living overseas nearly a decade previous to that, things like getting into my car and driving wherever I want, and buying whatever I want at the grocery store, anonymously, then going home and cooking it when I want towere amazing, wonderful things worth noting and celebrating. Drinking water from the faucet, always knowing my Starbucks drink will be reliably delicious, and being able to run alone whenever I wanted were also some of the celebrations that came with living stateside.
So it’s no surprise as I think about things I miss, they’re some of those same things. I miss running whenever I want to; runs here must be timed perfectly, to be late enough in the day to not wilt immediately from the heat but not so late as to be outside the security of the concrete-and-barbed-wire walls that surround my housing complex after sunset. I miss fresh milk, and not being stared at or taunted when I walk anywhere.
But thankfully the list of things I’m grateful for is longer than the things I miss, most of the time anyway. I love seeing palm trees out every window of my apartment. I love drinking the water from a fresh coconut just down the street, and West African pineapples are the best in the world. I love how friendly people are here, kind, welcoming, and open. I’m grateful to have the beach close by, and a wonderful roommate, and work that I really like and feel is important. I have access to a super nice vehicle, my staff have been so gracious with all of my millions of questions, and my boss is about the best boss I could ever hope to work for.
It’s not all been easy; there’s been tears and frustrations and hurt and asking myself what the heck was I thinking, but even there, beauty has reigned. Friends who write just the most perfect words, or prayers, or songs at just the right time. Messenger laughs and emojis and waves and photos, celebrating the wins of the day. Phone conversations that remind me of who I am and what I’m really doing here. Sipping Turkish coffee while watching the waves crash on the shoreline, the breeze keeping the mosquitos away, breathing deeply and grateful for the present moment. Getting lost for a few hours in a book. Amazing fish tacos, right down the street. A good workout with an encouraging coach.
There’s so much to be grateful for. One day I woke up feeling rough, and so my goal for the day was to be kind; only good could come from that, and anything else that got accomplished would be icing. Well, that day turned out great. Another day I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, so I decided I was going to be grateful regardless of what decided to happen that day. And it was a doozy, with plenty of fires to put out and problems to face, but when you’re looking for the good you’re pretty much guaranteed to find it. There is something, every day, that is worth celebrating. Of this I am sure. It’s just up to us to look for it, find it, and celebrate it.
Today I’m celebrating a great conversation that put some of my staff on the same page. I almost didn’t take the time to do it, but I’m celebrating that I did and it was great. On top of that, I had a productive meeting with a government official, and I got May’s finance report in and May isn’t even done yet!
May we each find something to celebrate today, and every day. xxk
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