New country, new changes

Southampton, Bermuda

Most of the time, a change in life is a good thing. It can signify growth, enhancement and the progression toward a goal. Conversely, there are negative changes as well, but often perception is key. But one thing we can be certain of is that change is different, and for some, different is not a good thing. I personally like to think I am a very flexible person, perhaps not physically that much, but emotionally and cognitively. I have lived in now five different countries in the past two years. Each move was a change, and each presented a different set of issues and uncertainties. And of course, each prepared me for future moves and future changes.

Great. Now where does all that lead? Well, at the moment it leads to Bermuda, my new home, at least for the interim. What makes this change especially difficult is that there are many other changes embedded within it. I am now working for someone other than myself and that is a very different experience than being a student or self employed. As such this can be seen as the start of the “rest of my life,” which is essentially an extension on my quarter-life crisis which I discussed while living in Spain. Part of that is figuring out where to live, how best to get to work and what to do in my spare time. Not only is this a new life here, it is a new type of life, something that doesn’t fit in with the previous molds I’m familiar with. Things are going to continue to change quite rapidly at least for the next couple of months until I get everything sorted out – externally and internally.

As far as Bermuda is concerned, it is a beautiful country, one can’t deny that. I suspect that like many of the locations I lived in while studying, I will not really get to experience as much of it as I would like. The people here are great, and English is the offical language which removes that significant barrier for me. The traffic in the morning leaves a little something to be desired – and it didn’t help that my first morning into work was delayed by over an hour because of a large traffic snarl-up due to a fallen pole. When there are only 37 miles of roads, not being able to use them all can cause problems. I still have a lot to learn about everything here, but I will in time, as I have before. I am a quick study and a very patient person, and often that helps.

Written by Colin Bate