It takes time to adjust to a new situation. Whether it's moving onto your college campus, starting a new job, moving to a different city or country, etc., each transition involves getting to know new people and figuring out how things work. Adjustment takes time, and after a little bit of time, you start to settle in and feel more confident with daily tasks and conversations.
Last week I noticed several things that I have been able to adjust to. Public transportation is a big one. I've never used the bus system in my hometown, so my only public bus experiences before moving here involved Atlanta and Pittsburgh (both fairly chaotic) where I had friends guiding me. Thankfully, I have great teammates here who helped me understand how to take the bus somewhere - and I felt pretty accomplished the first time I took a familiar bus back 'home' all on my own - but my first experience navigating the buses to a new location was completely nerve-wracking. Then I went to that same 'new' location again, and again, and now I know how to get there via bus without using Google Maps! Just a few days ago, my new teammate and I went to our friend's house for the first time, and I was able to figure out the way there on the first try. It hit me after that particular bus trip that I've gotten used to that kind of transportation, that I generally feel at ease with taking the bus.
It's a similar situation with people. I felt so out of place when I first started visiting various ministry programs. I wasn't sure how to interact with the nationals or the immigrants; there are cultural and linguistic barriers in both cases. As I spend more time with them, though, I'm becoming more confident in approaching people and talking with them. Each interaction teaches me more about vocabulary, gestures, facial expressions, conversation topics, and personalities. Better to continue stepping into the awkwardness and learning than to avoid it all together and make no progress. One of my teammates and I got to visit a couple immigrant friends in their home the other day, and even though our communication struggled and we had to enlist the children there to translate, we had the wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with them outside of the ministry program. Relationships and communication will require more adjusting on my part, but they're worth the time.
One other thing that I've had to adjust to is food. I have been trying new kinds of food since I arrived here, but that feat was further facilitated by the cultural treasure hunt that our team organizes for new interns. During that activity, I got to try camel milk (yep, that's right!) and several types of Pakistani food, including a dessert called jalebi that seriously tastes like deep-fryed sugar. The week before that, I had fresh homemade chapatis, mango lassi, samosas, and a traditional Arabic breakfast, and I helped make authentic chicken curry! I have had so much tea since I arrived here, and redbush tea with milk has become my favorite. Through my friends' various Easter traditions, I've recently had hot cross buns and German Easter bread. I also tried Marmite the other day, and goodness, it's strong. On top of all that, grocery shopping requires adjustment as well since many of the things I normally buy are different here or simply unavailable.
It takes time to adjust. There are moments when I'm tired of the newness and just want the comforts of home, but those new experiences are part of this adventure! Even though a lot of things here are unfamiliar, I'm getting used to it all more and more as I continue to immerse myself in the cultures around me.