Feb
25
On good days, I can’t believe that two months have gone by so quickly. On bad days, I feel like I’ve been here for years.
I feel as though I’ve learned a lot in a short period – maybe that’s why I’m tired. Here’s a few of the highlights -
1) I am so glad that I decided to not even think about working for the first three months. I don’t know how I could have managed a job and getting the kids settled. It took me these past two months just to get all their school supplies. Hence my first lesson: there is no Wal-Mart or Super Target equivalent in Caracas. The closest thing I found to a Costco or BJ’s is a store called Makro and it is located on the outskirts. 
2) Always allow for an extra 30-40 minutes when going somewhere by car. Traffic here is simply erratic. At first I was told it’s really bad on Fridays because that’s when people are getting ready to go away for the weekend. Then when it was equally horrendous the following Tuesday, I was told it was due to protests going on all over the city. Then when it was even worse on Thursday, I was told people were getting ready for the impending holiday the following week. Bottom line: traffic can be horrible at any time.
3) I need to relax. If I go to the store looking for something that I saw there the day before and it’s gone – too bad. No one there is going to go out of his/her way to find a hidden stash of my peanut butter or specific brand of paper towels and that’s OKAY. Life will go on. The more I get into this mindset, I find that other little things that used to bother me simply roll off my back. Therefore, I am a calmer version of myself (I’m sure my husband is enjoying that 
)
So, after two months, the patient seems to be very healthy.
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Posted in Caracas, Expat, Getting settled in foreign country, Immigrant Families, Immigrants, Moving, Moving Abroad, Traffic in Caracas, Venezuela Caracas Expat Families Expatriates Moving Abroad Venezuela Venezuelan Culture
Jan
10
Are the kids okay?! Especially, during this first week of school. 
After answering the question for the 30th time, my husband said “I wonder what they expected to happen”. My sentiments exactly.
I thought that everyone would assume that the kids would have the easiest time adjusting to a change like this. My seven year-old was really excited about coming and I think my two year-old thinks we’re on an extended vacation. He would not be surprised if we got on an airplane tomorrow and moved back to our old house – aahh, the joys of childhood.
When we first made this decision, my first concern was “how will the kids adjust”. But, after thinking and researching, not necessarily in that order, I realized that the most important thing for them at this age is stability in the home. Throughout this process, our family unit has stayed in tact and that is making the transition smoother.
I was a little nervous about them starting school, but after the first day meltdowns adjustments were over, they seem to really like it. The school schedule is different than in the states (shorter days) and I think this has helped a lot. When people ask me how they’re dealing with the new language, I tell that it’s too soon to tell. Of course they don’t understand most things right now, but I will be better able to assess their progress after at least three months.
In the meantime, I am enjoying watching their little developments so that one day I’ll say “ I remember when you weren’t fluent in Spanish.”
Photo credit: Tommickle
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Posted in Caracas, Cultural Assimilation, Culture, Expat, Immigrant Families, Immigrants, Moving Abroad, Parenting Children Abroad Cultural Assimilation Expat Families Immigrant Families Learning a Foreign Language
