There are occasionally people in my life who trade places with me in a way. Last summer I spent some time with my friend Nancy, soaking in her stories and advice about being a newlywed and starting out life with next to nothing... borrowing furniture, living in someone else's house and loving life amid the stress. she was mentoring me, trying to set me up for success in my new upcoming life adventure.
Cut to not even 6 months later and she's boarding a plane to Brazil with her family to begin 2-3 year expat assignment with her husband's company... a role I filled (as a child, not a spouse) nearly 2 decades ago. Turn around is fair play, so I have tried to keep in touch with her and give her my own stories and advice about moving into a foreign culture, where no one can speak the language yet, and you need help to even learn how to pay your bills or go grocery shopping!
Writing to Nancy brought back the newness of my own experiences, which is something that's usually very difficult to recall on my own. Rotterdam became so much a part of my own life and culture it can be hard to remember when it was strange and new and scary. I used my letter to be encouraging in an honest way. She and I can relate on a new level now, which just makes me appreciate our friendship even more!
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