Here is a list of some of the things we've learned throughout our time here.
*School sports don't exist in some parts of the world.
*Cooking takes twice the time when you have to translate and convert everything. Not to mention cooking from scratch.
*You don't have to have a closet full of clothes to have decent outfits to wear. Scarves work really well to change things up and it's actually quite freeing to not have to sift through so many choices.
*Sometimes you have the most in common with the least likely person in a room (like the time a Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian felt the same amount of out of place).
*Grass is still grass no matter what side of the fence (or ocean in this case) you are on. You can choose to be content or to stay dissatisfied regardless of where you live. Life is hard no matter where you are.
*People are all looking for the same things in life: love, acceptance, hope, peace, etc. regardless of status, money, or race.
*The church truly is global (it's not simply a building, but a group of people joined together for one purpose). I love attending a church with people from Africa, Asia, Australia, and all parts of Europe.
*It's nice living in a small, one bedroom apartment. You don't actually need extra bedrooms "just in case" for the once a year or more visitor, or to fill with items you don't really want, use, or need. Besides, it's way easier to clean!
*Taxes-It's so nice to shop and know exactly how much everything costs (because the tax is already included) without having to guesstimate. Get with it America!
*Everyday tasks can take twice as long and be super frustrating when you don't know the language. Ever tried using a computer program in a different language? All of a sudden Microsoft is something you've never used before. Twice I somehow minimized the internet screen to about an inch and had no idea how I did it or how to fix it. I constantly get the z and y keys mixed up because they are switched in Czech.
*Sometimes a doctor visit involving ENT doesn't include your temperature being taken or your ears being checked. Doctor visits were one of the worst experiences of living overseas. I am positive that that's not always the case but it certainly was for us.
*You never know what is REALLY going on in someone's life, unless you take the time to show them that you really care and want to help.
*Family is not necessarily flesh and blood. We have met some people here who have become some of the most important people in the world to us.
*Living in a constant state of things being out of your immediate control causes you to either become a crazy person or seriously flexible. At times we were a little bit of both. We had to be flexible with our teaching schedules all the time. Classes would get canceled, added, or moved weekly and sometimes every day. Using public transportation causes you to be flexible with travel plans and meeting times.
*One of my favorite "small" things about living overseas has been getting paid in cash. At first it was super weird. We kind of felt like we were part of the mob or something. We don't have a bank account here and we don't use debit cards at all. This has been a major blessing in disguise. We have been able to save so much more simply because we saw the money that was leaving our hands.
*This isn't a big shocker to anyone I'm sure, but one of the things we realized in a more real way I guess, was portion sizes. We noticed it the most after living here a year and then visiting the U.S. again last summer. It is crazy how much gets served for one meal in America.
*Something that we have grown to hate about Europe is paying for bathrooms. It can be very difficult to find a free bathroom when you're out and about. Needless to say we quickly memorized those that were available and planned our trips accordingly. Who wants to pay upwards of 50 cents every time they have to use the bathroom? By the way, water is rarely free at restaurants.
*The Czech Republic has some of the most well behaved dogs we've ever seen. Dogs will often stop at a red light without a leash and wait for their owner to give the go ahead to cross the street.
*Our map skills have grown immeasurably. When google maps isn't available, you don't speak the language, and you have no hope of help, you quickly figure out how to navigate using an old fashioned paper map and memorizing your route becomes a cinch.
*Air conditioning: I have to say that I both appreciate and at the same time can't stand air conditioning more than ever before. We don't have an air conditioner and for the most part we haven't needed one. With the exception of about a month or two we wouldn't have wanted an air conditioner. Having said that, we have literally had times where we went to the movies just to beat the heat (a lot of buildings and public transport don't have AC). The reason I say that I can't stand air conditioning is because it is overused in all of North America. Even when AC is used here, it is just enough to take off the edge, it is not an Arctic temperature drop. I shouldn't have to have a winter jacket on the ready in the middle of the summer just to enter a building.
These are just a few of the things we have learned about life overseas. I will say, it has been an unforgettable, life-altering experience.
*Family is not necessarily flesh and blood. We have met some people here who have become some of the most important people in the world to us.
*Living in a constant state of things being out of your immediate control causes you to either become a crazy person or seriously flexible. At times we were a little bit of both. We had to be flexible with our teaching schedules all the time. Classes would get canceled, added, or moved weekly and sometimes every day. Using public transportation causes you to be flexible with travel plans and meeting times.
*One of my favorite "small" things about living overseas has been getting paid in cash. At first it was super weird. We kind of felt like we were part of the mob or something. We don't have a bank account here and we don't use debit cards at all. This has been a major blessing in disguise. We have been able to save so much more simply because we saw the money that was leaving our hands.
*This isn't a big shocker to anyone I'm sure, but one of the things we realized in a more real way I guess, was portion sizes. We noticed it the most after living here a year and then visiting the U.S. again last summer. It is crazy how much gets served for one meal in America.
*Something that we have grown to hate about Europe is paying for bathrooms. It can be very difficult to find a free bathroom when you're out and about. Needless to say we quickly memorized those that were available and planned our trips accordingly. Who wants to pay upwards of 50 cents every time they have to use the bathroom? By the way, water is rarely free at restaurants.
*The Czech Republic has some of the most well behaved dogs we've ever seen. Dogs will often stop at a red light without a leash and wait for their owner to give the go ahead to cross the street.
*Our map skills have grown immeasurably. When google maps isn't available, you don't speak the language, and you have no hope of help, you quickly figure out how to navigate using an old fashioned paper map and memorizing your route becomes a cinch.
*Air conditioning: I have to say that I both appreciate and at the same time can't stand air conditioning more than ever before. We don't have an air conditioner and for the most part we haven't needed one. With the exception of about a month or two we wouldn't have wanted an air conditioner. Having said that, we have literally had times where we went to the movies just to beat the heat (a lot of buildings and public transport don't have AC). The reason I say that I can't stand air conditioning is because it is overused in all of North America. Even when AC is used here, it is just enough to take off the edge, it is not an Arctic temperature drop. I shouldn't have to have a winter jacket on the ready in the middle of the summer just to enter a building.
These are just a few of the things we have learned about life overseas. I will say, it has been an unforgettable, life-altering experience.
