The bubble:
I skimmed a book recently called Third Culture Kids - skimmed because most of the information was intuitive. Yet, one case study stuck with me. It was about an American girl who had grown up in China. Although she enjoyed her time in the states for holidays, she always felt that China was her home. She went to college in the US and during that time her parents moved back to the US. When she visited her parents in their new home, she felt homesick for China. So, when she graduated, she moved back. It was then she realized the bubble that she'd lived in when she was there. Being involved in the embassy family gave her privileges that she wasn't afforded when she moved back and started working at an entry-level job. She could barely afford her tiny apartment; whereas before, she was used to the finer things and used to spending time with native-English speakers.
The bubble exists here for me. It's easy and fun with built-in friends and a fancy lifestyle. What are you doing this weekend? Oh, just flying to Paris... I don't feel that it's wrong to enjoy this community as it is. And yet, I'm not truly experiencing the culture of Croatia unless I do break free from this English bubble. Do I desire the international community experience or the Zagreb community experience? It's a dance that I am learning the steps to.
The blues:
It appears that the winter blues are not lost in translation. Experiencing my first "European winter" (which translates to gray skies for weeks and very short days) is not what I expected. Oh well, I'm getting used to that.
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| Ian helping our landlady shovel the walk. The tram behind him got stuck and didn't run for about a day. |
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| Xena and Nera eating snowcones... Nera wants what Xena's got! ALWAYS. |
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| Two pups enjoying the snow more than anyone else. |
