The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth,
is to shut it again on something solid. ~Gilbert K. Chesterton
As I come to the close of my first school year teaching in
Athens, I decided to write down seven of the major lessons I’ve learned this
year. This is by no means a conclusive list, nor do I have these things
mastered. Consider them simply a collection of reflections on what I’ve only
begun to learn during my time abroad.
1. Ask for Help.
People generally like to help others. And
people who have already moved overseas generally really like to help people who have just moved overseas. I am
particularly blessed with an American-Greek landlady who not only speaks fluent
English, but also just recently returned to Greece after living in Chicago for
several years. She made a special effort
to make sure that I was acquainted with the neighborhood shops, public transportation,
the weird Greek billing system, the expense of oil usage, etc. I also learned
that most people (expats and natives) want to tell newcomers all about the
wonderful things the country has to offer and warn against possible rookie
mistakes. So ask for help—because people want
to help.
2. Accept Disequilibrium.
I’ve been out of my comfort zone this year
more than I have ever been before. One never really realizes the slow,
incremental learning that takes place when one has lived in the same place for
a while—and how much learning is going to take place all of a sudden when one
moves overseas. For example, I used to
be able to hop in my car and drive wherever I wanted. Reading road signs was no
problem. Getting places was easy. Move to a foreign country and the basic
just-getting-around stuff isn’t so easy anymore. I’m comfortable on the metro
now, but at first, I wasn’t. The one time I had to drive a car here was
confusing (and it was at night—doubly confusing). Mundane things—like buying
groceries—can be an adventure at first (but those pictures that they put on
food packaging are an absolute lifesaver). While none of these things by
themselves was overwhelming, the totality of dealing with them all together and
all at once was a bit daunting at times.
There were times when I just wanted a bit of “normal” to help balance
things out. However, the good news is that life overseas gradually becomes the
new normal. In fact, part of me is dreading grocery shopping in the States when
I go back. Mediterranean cultures really know how to do fresh produce. However,
I am looking forward to eating at Chick-fil-a again. Waffle fries, anyone?
3. Have Adventures.
Well, duh. That should be obvious. But
that’s sometimes easier said than done. After dealing with all the
disequilibrium included in the most basic elements of everyday life, the
temptation is sometimes to stay home and avoid any new situations that could
bring even more stress. However, that leads to missing out on some of the best
parts of living overseas. On a whim, I decided to go to Rome by myself for New
Year’s Day and the following weekend. Yes, getting from the airport to the
nunnery where I was staying was a challenge, but my four days in Italy were
absolutely fabulous. In fact, I fell in love with Rome. And...I’m kind of proud
of myself for conquering the eternal city all on my own (okay, so there was
this adorable little Italian nun that helped me out. But I was mostly on my
own).
4. Be Willing to Learn
One of the best parts about living overseas
is the tremendous opportunities for learning that are not just available, but pretty
much forced on the unwitting expat. I’ve learned that one of the most important
attitudes in living overseas is choosing to leave ethnocentric thinking behind
and listening to different perspectives.
The American way isn’t the only way. It’s good to approach the world
with curiosity and openness to new ideas. The fundamental concept here is
humility. That doesn’t mean one does not analyze everything and form opinions
(as the saying goes, “Don’t be so open-minded that your brain falls out”), but
it’s important not to approach life with the attitude that says, “My way is the
best way. Period. Stop.” One of the aspects of American culture that I’ve
learned to become especially leery of after living overseas is the being-a-Christian-means-being-an-intensely-patriotic-American
attitude occasionally found in the U.S. That is not to say that patriotism is
bad. By no means! But after spending time viewing the incredible history of
Christianity in Rome and Athens, and I was reminded that my identity as a
Christian depends more on my allegiance to Christ rather than allegiance to a
flag. The really neat side of this view is a grander appreciation of the
fellowship of the saints and our personal place in the history of the faith.
5. Accept the Influences of Culture
Working in another culture can be
incredibly frustrating. However, it’s probably just as frustrating for an
American working in the Greek culture as it would be for anyone else coming and
working in American culture. Why? Our cultural norms are ingrained. Super
ingrained. Ingrained to the point that we see differences from these norms as intentional
rudeness. That’s not to say that truth
is relative and that every aspect of every culture is okay. Rather, when two
cultures meet, there’s not only a clash of language, but also a clash of
behavioral expectations. One of the aspects of Greek culture that’s especially
different from American culture is the extent to which it is an oral-centered society.
Greeks generally like to talk. A lot. And loudly (at least to my American
ears). The cultural expectation found in America that when one speaker is
addressing an audience, the audience refrains from speaking is sometimes not
found here. The importance of continual verbal communication is really healthy
during recreational times, but can be extremely frustrating when I’m teaching a
class. However, what appears rude to my American expectations is not necessarily
intentional rudeness from my students. Often times, it’s simply what’s normal
to them—and they don’t mean to be disrespectful. On the flip side of that, in-class debates can
be tons of fun here.
6. Remember that Rome wasn’t Built in a Day
Speaking of Rome, let’s throw an idiom in
here. Learning how to flourish in a foreign culture takes time. Think about it.
New school. New home. New country. New culture. New everything. It takes time
to learn how to adapt to all that. Recently, I was expressing frustration to my
boyfriend concerning the fact that I felt I wasn’t as good a teacher this year
as I wanted to be or as I’ve been in the past. He kindly reminded me of all the
change this year has included and told me that given all those things, this year
was a raging success. He was right. I needed to redefine success for this year
and stop measuring it against what I had defined as success while I was working
in the States (in a place I had lived and worked in for years). Thank God for
people who remind us to extend grace even to ourselves.
7. Trust in God
An elderly woman I used to live with as a
companion was fond of saying, “God takes care of his own.” And he does. He
really does. From having a co-teacher who helped me adapt to the school, to
having a landlady who helped me adapt to the country, to meeting random
strangers who helped me figure out which bus to take, help arrives when it’s
needed. That doesn’t mean life is always easy. But as lonely as it gets
sometimes, there’s always a loving Father to call on, a Savior who carries us,
and a Spirit which guides us. Just like working out with heavier weights
increases our physical muscles, so learning to trust God in a foreign land
increases our spiritual muscles. And
just as sometimes even our physical muscles fail us and we need help, so God
sustains us even in our weaknesses. After all, the greatest failure is not
stumbling during an adventure; it is choosing never to go on the adventure in
the first place.
Beautiful!
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