Tuesday, November 29, 2011

living the nomad lifestyle

One question has been popping up all over the place in the last couple of weeks:
"how in the world do you cope with moving around so much?". 
It makes me laugh to be honest, how would you answer something like that?? But, it got me thinking, so let's start from the beginning.
Outgoing is not a word you would use to describe me, I used to be the shyest kid around the block. Talking to people I have never met before does not come naturally. The thing is, when life throws you into situations you learn to deal with it :)
I always had the urge to live somewhere else and when I signed up to do a gap year in Scotland, little did I know that ten years later I would look back and say that I've lived on three different continents with 45 housemates from 14 nations. Can you imagine the complete clash of cultures haha At times it was insane but you learn from each other and learn to love the differences. There's no room to be shy anymore and yes living with people is way different than meeting people and interacting with complete strangers.
That's what happened to me when the HU crew took me to Europe and told me to help out Scotty doing merch every night on a three week tour. No need to say, I was terrified! (at least I wasn't shaking like when I had my first day at their office haha) Don't get me wrong, I was over the moon that they'd asked me, as it meant getting to attend Claudia & Berni's wedding back home as tour started two days later in Switzerland and I'm still grateful for that.
Now there are two things that make situations like that a lot easier to me than to most people:
number one. I very much live in the moment - I drink it all in and enjoy it, when you travel/tour who knows when you're going to be back so get the most out of every day. Life is definitely too short to do anything else.
number two. I just go with it - no matter what, not much to freak me out these days haha Also ever since college it has been instilled in me to be part of the solution and not the problem. Why be difficult and make life horrible for everyone around you??!!!
As scary as it seemed to be encountering a million people over the course of three weeks, once we hit Zurich, everything was fine. It was mostly because of being pushed into that environment that I get to tour with team MG nowadays. If Webby and Scotty wouldn't have made me, I doubt I would have ever done it and I'm glad they did.
A few things I have learned as a little nomad...
... I actually love meeting people and listening to their stories, and the stories they don't tell you but their faces do. I'm a big people watcher haha
... respect others - that's a massive one and I couldn't shout it any louder, going with the Sisterhood motto here, but place value on humanity
... a smile goes a very long way
... believe the best in people
... never take for granted the life you get to live
... tough times will end and a new season will start
... communal living is the best, especially when you have some Brazilians thrown in the mix :)
... you find people, who will be like family wherever you go (Stiles, Stewarts, Pfaus, Porters I'm talking about you xx)
... God's ways are higher and I marvel at them
This list could go on and on but maybe the biggest part in why this kind of life works for me, are a handful of people. My family and closest friends. They know me better than anyone else, ground me, cheer me on, tell me off when I'm stupid or make bad decisions and still love me. Everyone would kill to have people like them in their lives and I don't take that for granted for one second. To know that they have my back makes it very easy to go off exploring and working in other countries.
Wouldn't trade this nomadic lifestyle for anything, whose life wouldn't be enriched by new people, places and cultures.
Coming back to London felt like coming home. That I get to work with such amazing people is just favour from above xx

1 comment:

  1. i love you! just thought i would let you know...

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