When I was a teenager, I decided I would have the experience of living abroad. I was extremely excited about all the planning, low rate for currency exchange, trips, languages, and even the “status” that would come with it. Now, as an adult, I was finally accomplishing this dream. When I arrived, right at the airport, I was euphoric and anxious to experience everything I could, all the things I used to see on blogs and from Youtubers.
What nobody had told me was that I would get weirded out by the food and so many other tiny little things. Well, I knew the food would be different, but nobody told me it would be that much! The Irish breakfast is made of soft yolk fried egg, bacon, chorizo, sausage, lightly sweetened beans with tomato sauce, mushrooms, hashbrown (a variation of fried polenta but made with potatoes), toasted bread, and tea with milk! Yes, all of this only for breakfast. As a Paulista, I just wanted my usual bread roll with butter and coffee with milk. For lunch? They have meat stew, mashed potatoes, and fries … Accompanied by tea with milk! Where were my rice, beans, and freshly squeezed orange juice!?
What they also didn’t tell me is how cultural differences are strongly felt in our daily life. Greetings by kissing on the cheek and casual hugs? No way!
Chitchat on the neighbour’s house without a previous notice? Never!
Cute WhatsApp messages such as “Hiiiii, how are yooou? So … ” before introducing the main subject? Never!
What I heard in theory but didn’t know until I experienced it, is that speaking a different language makes you express yourself in a whole other way. There is no expert in the world that explains our expressions “mano do céu” or “tamo junto”. Our Brazilian popular sayings hardly make any sense here. This is funny and kind of tragic because I do not feel I can fully express my true self when speaking in English. Of course, what I’m writing here represents my own perspective and experience. I’m not saying everybody will feel the same, but saying “my goodness” will never bring the same satisfaction as saying “man on the sky!” But, as I told you, this last expression doesn’t make any sense in English.
I found out that living abroad is an enriching experience but it is not only made of good moments. There are moments of loneliness, and sometimes, I don’t feel entirely at home as I usually do with Brazilians or in Brazil. I brought my cultural heritage in my luggage and I didn’t expect it would cause me so much trouble. To deal with that, I had to grow and understand that nothing is a bed of roses.
The most important lesson I’ve learned is not to compare place X with Y. Make the most of your experiences in place X, but also make room to genuinely live in place Y. it also holds true for moving to another neighborhood or city.
I still don’t appreciate the Irish food, and I feel a little out of place. But I do understand this is a normal process, and as highly adaptable beings, we just need to find a way to work it out. Nowadays, I cook my own food at home, make part of a group of Brazilian friends, set my electronic devices to Portuguese, and keep an open heart for new experiences.
