Don't you love that moment when you have gone through all the trials of learning and assimilating and you finally feel like you fit in? It is not only that you can do what you need to do, but that you can finally do it WELL? Whether it be for a job or a sport or a change of home address, it is the best feeling to know that you have learned and mastered something that you set out to do and, praise God, I have finally had that moment!
I found my niche! Not only with teaching, but also with assimilating into this culture. In fact, during the month of December, I was blessed to be able to travel quite a bit for the holidays with my mother, who came to visit me. However, it was the most fascinating thing to me, as I was traveling through Dresden and then Vienna and Budapest, to feel this sort of homesickness and even patriotism for the Czech Republic and specifically my little town of Pardubice.
Having finally felt settled and comfortable in my routine here, it was weird, even a little disconcerting, to spend extended periods of time in different countries. I mean, just today, I was listening to one of my colleagues speaking Czech and I actually understood almost all of what he was saying! So, it was a bit difficult, traveling for over a week in another country like Hungary, where I again had to go through the process of accepting that I didn't understand the Hungarian language and I never would. Don't get me wrong, Vienna and Budapest were both breathtaking cities to visit (and during Christmas of all times!), but it was definitely eye-opening to see how much I have already grown accustomed to Czech culture.
Of course, I still have so much to learn about teaching and so much more to learn about the Czech language and how to do ministry here, but, considering that I have only been here for a little over four months, I am so thankful for how far I have come!
P.S. - Today, after seven long, stressful months of paperwork, negotiating, expiring visas, and meetings with the foreign police, I was finally able to get my biometric ID card that allows me to have long-term residency in this country!!! This little card has caused me so much trouble, but it has finally arrived and I am so so SO thankful that I don't have to deal with visas anymore!! Praise God!