And having to start from zero and rebuild everything, having to re-learn how to live and carry out every day activities like a child, fundamentally alters you. Yes, the country and its people will have their own effect on who you are and what you think, but few things are more profound than just starting over with the basics and relying on yourself to build a life again.
-Chelsea Fagan
I had a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to start this blog. I wanted to start something where I could write reflectively on (and in) my travels, and to share them with others. Since I came to Mongolia with Peace Corps, I thought now was a perfect time to start sharing my experience, especially since not many people know much about Mongolia beyond Chinggis Khan.
The starting point came not with a fantastic event in country, but rather, from a blog post from my friend Tam. It links to this article over at Thought Catalog, and it is on the experience of change as seen through the lens of one who lives abroad. Her basic argument was that if you live abroad, you become two people: The present you, in your new country, and the past you, the one you were in your old country. I don’t agree with her article as a whole. I feel she spends too much time looking at the past wistfully, trying a bit too hard to romanticize the life and challenges of an expatriate. Her conclusion seems rather sad. I think living abroad is a wonderful experience that expands your personal world, and grants you perspective. No matter what you do in life, you’re going to face challenges. Living abroad simply has its own unique set of challenges, most– if not all– of which you can overcome if you proceed with patience, an open mind, and an open heart.
I’ve done my fair share of relocation: Four different countries in the past four years. I want to keep a record of what I’ve been doing, seeing, and experiencing. It will allow me to share culture as I experience it. My hope is to write in here once a week, and to share the creative writing I have been doing as well.
I hope you all enjoy what I have to post in the future. Let’s see what kind of life is built this time around!
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Two Second Street 