Ani wrote:Got any advice on how to adjust to coming back home?
Coming back from traveling is so hard, but especially with everything you're going through.
I would just say try to be present as much you can.
That's something I definitely struggle with when I come back home. Traveling can make it so much easier to be present. Everything is new and intense and vivid and out of the ordinary. It can be a blessing not knowing how things work in an unfamiliar place, so that to navigate you have to be fully engaged.
Back home, I find that there are so many routine things that I can do on autopilot, while mentally and emotionally I'm somewhere else. I can end up not fully experiencing what I'm doing and also not fully experiencing the thoughts or feelings that are coming up, just sort of bouncing back and forth between them.
What's helped me be more present is when I've had a regular activity where the intention is to do it mindfully and be present for it. There are lots of different forms it could take. Running or other exercise can be great for this. I've found sitting meditation to be really beneficial.
I find that when I do something like that regularly, it doesn't matter if I do the activity and it's a struggle to be mindful. It still kind of colors my day and I end up more present for the day's experiences and interactions and decisions.
The goal of this isn't to feel at peace or any other particular way, but just to kind of make room for what comes and be there with it.
One possibility, since you might be moving, I wonder if there are things you do regularly that are unique to where you live now and that you will maybe miss. Doing those things could be an opportunity to be mindful.
And I don't know if language learning could work in this way or if it's something else, but I like that it can be both a respite and a way to connect with places and people we care about. I find it really inspiring that you and your language exchange partner became good friends and met up when you were there. And learning Spanish is such a beautiful thing to do for your niece.
The only upside this time is that we'll have professional movers that will pack for us too. I've never done it that way and I can only hope it will be less stressful.
