You know when I pictured my grown up life oh so long ago back in High School. I always imagined me having a job in another country or traveling for work. Basically I was not in the same area I grew up in. I was free and having adventures and not stuck within the social norms of boring old 9-5 jobs. I was footloose and fancy free!
That picture in my head didn't take into account how terrifying it is to leave what you know. First I never want to travel full time for work. The few times I have done it, it has been fun, but to do it constantly and never be at home. Not for me. Two, now that I may have the opportunity to live abroad and work I've come to a few realizations. While it would be awesome to experience a new culture and be able to say, "I live in Africa" (I mean really, that is kinda cool), it is also very frightening. I don't know what to expect from Morocco or Marrakesh. But I do know what to expect from California and San Francisco. I am a creature of comfort apparently and anything upsetting my apple cart is cause for panic.
So while in my head I am a sophisticated multilingual woman totally up for the challenge of living and working in Morocco like it's no big deal. In reality I am a homebody who wants to stay at home and pull the covers over her head and just keep everything the way it is.
I know exactly what you mean. I used to think I'd spend all my time traveling, sending home weird paintings and dusty shrunken heads but only occasionally coming back myself. Usually I was wearing some kind of Indiana Jones-type outfit in these fantasies, and a pith helmet.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think there's the initial strangeness wherever you move and then you find new comfort zones. Humans are creatures of habit; anywhere we're exposed to becomes familiar very quickly. I watch Dan do his thing and after traveling the Arabic world he is totally blase about it. I remember how scary and thrilling Europe used to be for me and now when I go it's like visiting another part of San Francisco. Pretty soon you'd be like 'Oh, Africa?' [yawn].
But it's okay to decide you'd rather not start with something *that* different, and hold out for London or Paris or something instead. I do not think *I* would be brave enough for Marrakesh.
I think you are brave enough and you should do it if its offered. The scariest changes are usually the most amazing in hindsight.
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