Skip to main content

The uplifting of thankfulness.


Trying to settle into a new country and culture is complicated. It’s very different from visiting, where all things new are (mostly) an exciting adventure. Living and settling is an invitation to not just be an observer of the culture and ways from the outside, but to embrace it and become part of what others observe when they are visiting.

But it’s complicated. And it takes time to navigate. How do you embrace a culture that functions so differently from your own, while not loosing yourself? How you navigate not letting the struggles overshadow all the treasure each culture carries within them?

How do you remain thankful, when everything within you is feeling overwhelmed by yet another wave of culture shock, leaving you feeling a bit like you were literally washed up on the sand by a giant wave?

This month marked 6 months of living in Amsterdam. I guess we all hit moments of reflection in our journeys. I don’t know if I hit one of those moments, or if I am reflecting as a result of being overwhelmed.

On Sunday I was strolling around the city as I do. It was a beautiful day and the streets and parks were full of tourists and locals (sometimes I wonder where all the people come from as there are people everywhere). And yet walking around (not going anywhere in particular) I felt so completely alone in the world. It crept in on me and just hit me, and as I watched families, friends, couples, random collections of people, their togetherness seemed to amplify my aloneness. And I was faced with a choice: either I could choose to remain in that place of feeling alone; or I could go the route of thankfulness.

I chose thankfulness.

I started thanking God for the simple things, like a nice sunny day, a beautiful city to walk around in, for a free day. And even if I still felt quite alone at first, as I kept thanking Him, it was as it something shifted in my perspective. And I found the things that before had emphasized my feeling alone, were now springboards to gratitude. Needless to say it became a really good day.

Even if my circumstances haven’t changed, and the expectation that by now I’d surely be settled in the city with the language figured out and a network of people around me hasn’t been met, my heart is more at peace. I know more Dutch than I did 6 months ago, and my online course which I do on and off when I have a moment, it definitely extending my vocabulary. However speaking and understanding when it is spoken is a bit more tricky. But still there is progression, and I was very excited the other day when I had a whole (small) conversation in a shop in Dutch without having to resort to English. And connecting with people just takes time, and I am so grateful for the ones I do know and can spend time with.

So I am thankful. Thankful for the revelation that gratitude is a vehicle to peace and perspective.

I just finished some apple pie and am in the process of drinking a delicious cup of Earl Grey tea. As always, airports are the best place to blog, and I am waiting for my flight home to Norway for an extra long weekend. I am ready for some time in familiar surroundings in a culture I understand better. And yet at the same time, I am glad to be on the journey of discovering the treasures of the Dutch culture as I continue to live and work in the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

Popular posts from this blog

Small moments that mean a lot

Walking home on the crunchy snow that lights up a December evening,  I felt so thankful. The revelation that fellowship and being together is the best gift you can give someone, and realising that although it might seem small, it can turn into something big when a person feels seen and valued.  Yesterday I helped out with a crafts workshop for a group of lovely women volunteering for Crux where I worked before (well, in all honesty: they were making angels while I ate Christmas cookies, Quality Street chocolate, and chatted). I love walking alongside people in conversation, and realise sharing life for 2 hours can last so much longer in value and experience.  This evening we had our Christmas dinner for volunteers and people who are part of my current job. It was a delightful evening with many nations gathered around the same table…. eating the same food… and for a few hours creating a small fellowship moment that will become a good memory for the future. Often in my job ...
Read more

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...
Read more

So what is new in Kansas City?

“Not much”, I think is the answer. Although, that’s not quite correct, I’ve had quite an adventurous weekend (in the mildest sense of the word). Let me see, where do I start? Well, Thursday when I last wrote was really good. I got to join with a team for a bit in the evening, which was really good fun and it lifted my spirits as I am totally a team person! The whole week had been quite tense because of adjustments with our household and people coming and going. On Saturday two of the girls I shared with were moving out and since Friday night they were packing, my other housemate and I went shopping. We figured it was easier to not get caught up in the chaos that packing to move houses is. It was fun to go shopping, even if we only went to Wall-Mart and HyVee (big grocery and other thing shops). We got a few bits and pieces for the house to make it more homely and generally just had fun looking at all the stuff they have. We’d decided that when the other girls had moved we’d do a big cl...
Read more