The Shepherd’s pie was delicious. Unfortunately it didn’t occur to me to take a picture of it because I was distracted with spending time with my friend so I promise to make it again soon and give you the recipe and pictures.
Lately I’ve been finding comfort in cooking up recipes from home. It’s kind of ironic given I’ve never really felt at home in the places I’ve lived. I’m either arriving, unpacking, packing or leaving. Maybe that’s what life is. Flavours from all the places you’ve been mashed up into something that makes you feel happy.
Each place I’ve been has contributed something to the tapestry of my life; some bright colours and other things are the snagged stitches that drive me crazy.
Emigrating is no small task by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a seemingly endless list of things to think about and lately it’s been overwhelming me. The fact that this has all happened before on 2 separate occasions is irrelevant. Each time is a new set of circumstances and a new destination so it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.
The same major variables are present: job, accommodation, visas, tying up loose ends where you are now and figuring out how to navigate the challenges of the new destination. The big things are a given. You know your circle of friends, job, home and surroundings are going to change so when they do it’s hardly a surprise.
It’s the little things that end up sinking your boat. Simple things like not knowing where to go to buy a saucepan or where the nearest pharmacy is in relation to where you are. New road signs and the fact that a brinjal is called an aubergine in one place and an eggplant somewhere else.
There’s a very vivid memory of sitting on a pavement in Islington in London having a wobbly with my bestie because all we wanted was a bloody frying pan and couldn’t find one for love or money because we had NO clue on which stores sold them.
Not knowing how a simple ingredient is packaged. At home it came in an orange box. Is it now in a can, a packet, a box?! What is the brand name? Stupid little things like wanting to buy a loaf of bread only to be confronted with an entire aisle of options when previously your options were white/brown/sliced/unsliced.
Now it’s suddenly white/wheat/rye/multi-grain/gluten-free/wholemeal/round/square/sliced/unsliced/sesame-seed/poppy seed/pita pockets/round buns/long buns/ciabatta buns/croissants/muffins/87 types of bagels and your brain shuts down because all you want is a goddamn loaf of bread.
Things…….
One bite at a time. As my boss in SA frequently told us: we’re going to eat this elephant one bite at a time.
The man made a lot of sense.
This morning’s elephant was reading about the UK holding a referendum on June 23rd about whether or not to stay in the EU. The result of that referendum will have long lasting consequences, the least of which will be immigration.
Should the UK leave the EU, there’s a possibility Scotland will vote again on whether or not to be independent. That’s a whole other set of consequences.
Needless to say my brain started melting contemplating how this will affect my plan to relocate. After having a complete wobbly about it, it boiled down to one bite at a time.
What can I do today to make progress on my goal? Pick up the phone and call our UK office and simply ask if there’s an option to take a job from one office and work it remotely from where I want to be.
I should hear back in a few days. However small your step, just take it. Pick one small thing you can do and do it. Yes, it’s going to be uncomfortable and yes, it may give you an answer you don’t want but until you do it, the not knowing will steal your peace. To make an informed decision, you need information. Get it. Seriously. Find the information you need even if it’s not what you want to hear because until you know, there’s exactly nothing you can do to make progress.
Pick a direction and take a step that way. Promise me. One small step. That’s all we need to do today. Tomorrow we’ll take another one and eventually we’ll find the way.
You have brought up a very superb points, thanks for the post.