Leading up to my move abroad, I anticipated the inevitable moments of culture shock. What I did not anticipate, though, was the way it would actually present itself. Many of the little, mundane things have held some of the biggest surprises—grocery shopping, baking, and even simply putting up curtains in my bedroom. Navigating these small tasks in a cross-cultural context has felt absurdly frustrating at times, but it has also taught me what it looks like to celebrate the small wins.
All of a sudden, what would have seemed like a small victory back home in the States has become a big celebration and declaration of praise here in Greece. Figuring out what it means—and what it looks like—to give myself the grace to be satisfied with a simple task like grocery shopping in a language I don’t yet understand has been challenging. At the same time, I can see how the Lord is using these moments to stretch me and facilitate growth.
It’s sweet and funny to look back at some of these moments and reflect on how much has changed, but also how much has remained the same, simply presenting itself slightly differently in this new context. Ultimately, the life I’m navigating abroad is, in many of the mundane ways, remarkably similar to my life back home.