{"id":7696,"date":"2019-09-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/findingyourease.com\/?p=7696"},"modified":"2019-09-11T16:45:19","modified_gmt":"2019-09-11T12:45:19","slug":"move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findingyourease.com\/move\/","title":{"rendered":"We moved\u2026 again\u2026a review"},"content":{"rendered":"

My blog has been a bit quiet over the summer but life wasn\u2019t quiet at all. Why? Because we only got our move confirmed by the end of June – from Tokyo, Japan to Muscat, Oman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t come as a total surprise. It\u2019s been brewing for a while but still – a move is only confirmed when it\u2019s confirmed, isn\u2019t it? And since we already had started the summer holidays it was all a bit different than our previous moves. Meaning we didn\u2019t really have a chance for some proper good-byes. Thankfully most of the kids\u2019 friends were still around so we could manage a little farewell for them. But for me, that was on the sideline this time. And it felt and still does feel a bit weird. I\u2019m not a fan of big farewell parties but yes I would have loved a final coffee and\/or dinner with some of my\u00a0friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And you know how it is, those final things you want to do and place to go before you head off – even that didn\u2019t work out. We had so much rain the weeks we were still there that outside options were rather limited. I just recently saw my page in my notebook \u201cTo do before we leave Tokyo\u201d. Well, I might keep it for when we visit one day instead then.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, sitting in our temporary apartment in Muscat and looking back at those last weeks in Tokyo, our home for four years, it feels like a hard finish. The closing period of our life there feels like if a big band-aid has been ripped off in one go – short and a bit painful, leaving a little mark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So while our last weeks in Tokyo were kind of frantic in regards to sorting, packing and such the first weeks here in Oman were \u2026 well, quiet. We are four weeks in and I\u2019m slowly adjusting to the slower pace. It surely gets some getting used to though! The kids prefer it for now. Especially for my oldest Tokyo often felt too busy and crowded – well he is at the right place now. Things will change here too once the heat isn\u2019t there anymore but for now, it\u2019s pretty mellow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then again, the mellowness helps me (forces me) to slow down too. And while it feels a bit weird, like somebody forcing you to slow down, like when you are being cut off while driving it might be good for me. I tend to be on overdrive in the beginning of moves, wanting to organise and do a lot in a short time frame. And being an introvert that can easily lead to overwhelm-ness and exhaustion. So now, I take that step back. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t think it only has to do with living in a slow-paced country. After all, this is my seventh international move and I do believe that I learned and grew with each of them too. Having practised mindfulness the past years and paying more and more attention to what is really going on within me (and family members) certainly does play a\u00a0big part in approaching things differently too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years the moves became less overwhelming, less stressful – and with every move, I feel more grounded and at ease overall.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not saying I don’t experience those \u201cargh it\u2019s all too much\u201d moments anymore – that would be a lie. I mean it\u2019s still a move and every move is stressful in so many layers. Especially if you move cross-countries and cultures. And having children in the mix, whether they are babies, young kids or (pre)teens all add a different flavour to that experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But yes, the blow is not that big! I feel less rattled, know how to handle myself and my (and the family\u2019s) emotions much better. Do I still lose it (and myself) at times? Do I feel it’s hard? I surely do, but that is part of this rollercoaster life we live, too. And I would not want to miss any of those steps just now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflecting on these past weeks and previous moves showed me as well that I somehow created some “post-moving-habits”. Some of the key things I do with every move are that I<\/p>\n