A Year of Expat Living - My Reflection on my First Year in Tbilisi, Georgia
Well, it is officially me and Dominic’s move-a-versary. On January 7, 2014 we headed to Dulles Airport to board a plane that would be taking us over the Atlantic Ocean, the Black Sea, and several different counties only for us to land in an unknown world I now call my home. As I reflect on this day exactly 365 days ago, I remember the fear, the excitement, the curiosity, the sadness, and the anxiousness that ran through every vein in my body. Never in my life have I ever expected that I would leave my hometown and my family to live in a country that most of the US population thinks is only the name of a southern state.
Tbilisi, Georgia. Oh, Tbilisi. How you molded and changed me these past 365 days. How you challenged and excited me. How you made me want to slap you in the face or kiss you on the lips if you had one. What a year it’s been with good ole Tbilisi. I look back at all of the fears that I had and smile because I wish I could have told myself that everything really was going to be okay. I feared that I would hate it, I feared I wouldn’t make any decent friends, I feared I would be living so out of my comfort zone that I would go crazy. Now, I did go crazy at times, but culture shock and the struggle to find a job were certainly to blame for that. However, Tbilisi also gave me so much life that I needed. There were so many experiences awaiting me in this beautiful and slow-paced country.
If I’m being honest, the first few months were a roller coaster. I’ll never get the vision out of my head of traveling for over 24 hours with no sleep and being dropped off at our apartment in the middle of the night and being told “Welcome home”, when we really had no idea where we were to begin with. All I remember was that 24+ hours before that moment I was in my house, surrounded by my family, in the country that I would no longer live in. Flash forward 24 hours later and there I laid on a hard mattress, surrounded by blank walls, loud elevator noises, and then waking up to a leaky shower, which totally flooded the whole bathroom, and I couldn’t wrap my head around that THIS was my home now. THIS was the place I would be waking up in, and making meals, creating memories, sharing laughter, and shedding tears in for the next two years of my life. The only person I knew was Dominic. He was my only friend, my only family. The jet lag messed with my body and my mind and even though I ached both physically and mentally, I was ready to explore this unknown territory and create a life that awaited me to discover.
The first few months were filled of meeting new faces, trying new foods, being tourists, and enjoying living on our own together. January to March were great. We made so many amazing friends who were incredibly welcoming, friendly, and just down-right good people to be around. We formed a close group of American friends as well as Georgian friends. We explored the local clubs, tried all the best Georgian cuisine, and enjoyed parties and game nights with our fellow expat friends. It was especially nice to know that the women I was becoming close to also shared the same fears, frustrations, and enjoyments as me as an expat in Tbilisi. It was great that I had women who knew the struggles of finding a job in a foreign country and leaving your family and/or career for your partner/spouse’s job. Having these women to hang out with during the day helped me explore more places I’ve never seen and to also experience the culture together.
Culture shock was a difficult thing to deal with. Everyone grows up being taught to live a certain way. As we all know, each country has their own traditions and habits, and to them these habits are normal. One thing that I struggled with accepting was the rudeness from some of the strangers on the street as well as the city’s undesired effort to restore the streets and buildings around them. It’s a slow-paced country. You don’t see many people out until the clock hits about 10AM on a weekday. Also, simple smiles on the street are rare to find, people cut you off in line without hesitation, and the driving is ridiculous. I won’t go into detail since I have covered most of these topics in recent posts. Basically I had my days where my frustrations would get the best of me and I just wished for simpler living. I wasn’t trying to be ungrateful, but I was just completely and utterly in culture shock. I had days where I didn’t leave the apartment because I was sick of being looked at strangely, dealing with people not holding the door open for me or their annoyance of the fact that I only spoke English. I missed friendly strangers and the excessive amounts of groceries to choose from in America. I missed everyone speaking English and being able to drive to my favorite stores. I missed living in a first world country. Plain and simple. Come April I was finally starting to feel homesick. My heart ached constantly for the presence of my family and friends. It was getting very hard for me to accept the fact that I was missing out on all the things I used to do every day. I missed having a job and hanging out with my mom, dad, and brother and I missed my close girlfriends and all the fun times we had together. April was a rough month for me.
But then, Dominic and I started to explore even more unknown territory and ventured out to the neighboring country of Armenia. The weather was becoming hot and sunny and we were in need of a mini vacation. The four days spent in Yerevan, Armenia was much needed. It made me realize the benefits of the expat life. I’m able to travel and experience so many things that the average person will never get to do in their life. I have learned so much about other cultures and people and also a lot about Dominic and myself. To me the growth that I have made within myself as a woman is the most rewarding thing I have gained from this overall experience.
As the months became warmer, my mood also began to change. I was more comfortable and more settled in my lifestyle in Tbilisi. I started to already form some really great friendships and learned a lot about myself in a short period of time. I also filled my days the best way I could by doing school work, reading, cooking, cleaning, hanging out with my friends, and working out. The spring season was a beautiful one. Dominic and I would spend our weekend at the outdoor cafes or just simply walk around the city. This was one of the most enjoyable things about living in a historical and different city such as Tbilisi. There was always something to do and something to explore. Soon the summer months approached and Dominic and I planned our first big vacation to Ibiza, Spain, which was hands down the best vacation of my life. I was in awe that I was able to experience a city such as Ibiza. A few weeks later I flew home to America to plan the wedding, while Dominic lived in Slovakia for 6 weeks for work. Both of our trips were incredibly needed for our sanity. I needed to be home and back to my old lifestyle and be with the comfort of my family, while even though Dominic was unable to come to America, he was able to experience and appreciate an entirely new and different city in which he fell in love with.
Once September arrived, Dominic and I were back living in Tbilisi together. The only difference this time was that I had two jobs waiting for me! I was offered a job as an English as a second language teacher at a school and would also be working as a private English teacher. I was thrilled that I had two jobs where I could not only fill my day with, but also be rewarded with the impact that I would be making on my students. However, the job at the school did not turn out how I thought it would be whatsoever. I promise to go into more detail in a future post. Fortunately, I am still private teaching and enjoy it so much. I’m so happy that I have something to keep me busy and make me feel like I have some sort of purpose while I’m in Tbilisi.
In October we threw Dominic a huge birthday bash, which about 40 people attended. We had a blast and it opened my eyes even more to how many unbelievable friends we have made this year. We are always making plans with our friends and constantly meeting new people. I love learning about new people and where they’ve been and all the stories they have. This is another HUGE perk of this lifestyle I am living. I am constantly inspired and encouraged by the people who I surround myself with, and for that I am forever grateful.
In November Dominic’s family came and visited us which was something we were counting down the days for all year long. I am so proud of Dominic for being so strong this entire year, especially with being away from his family. All I can say is that the Fynn’s had a fabulous time in Tbilisi. We took them to all of the best restaurants (which they loved, thankfully) and to all the beautiful sites that they were longing to see. We created some beautiful memories with them, which we will all hold in our hearts forever. It’s exciting to know that our families will have the opportunity to visit us all over the world for decades to come and experience culture that they have never seen before. I was especially happy that the Fynn’s could see our lives through their eyes instead of through our stories. They lived like we did for 10 days and in those 10 short days they better understood our daily struggles, excitements, opportunities, and simple funny situations that is now a part of our daily lives.
As I write this I am currently sitting in my room in Southern Maryland with a house that’s occupied by my mother, father, and brother. I’m happy to be home with my family again for a few more weeks before I head back, and I’m especially excited for Dominic to arrive to America for his much needed and anticipated visit. A year ago I was in this same house, but instead of being content and calm like I am now, I was anxious and sad. I was looking at my family’s faces and trying to hold back tears. That feeling still sends shivers to my bones. But again, as I am writing this, I look back and think about how proud I am of myself, and this time I am holding back tears of happiness. I’m proud that I proved to myself that I can pack up my things, board a plane, and get shipped off to a not-so-well-known country and make a damn good life for myself. I’ve learned that I am capable of anything. I’ve learned I can accomplish anything. In these 365 days I have learned to become a stronger women. I’ve become a more wiser, mature, and focused woman. This experience alone has led me to explore the sides of me that I have always wanted to become present. I’m writing more, I’m succeeding in school, I’m singing/playing guitar more, I’ve become a damn-good cook (if i do say so myself), and I’ve learned to love myself more. I don’t beat myself up nearly as much as I used to compared to when I was younger because this experience has taught me that I am worthy of accomplishing anything at anytime. I have to give a lot of thanks to my family, Dominic’s family, friends, Tbilisi friends, and especially Dominic for being there for me through this entire journey. Those people are my rocks.
Lastly, I’d like to give a big thanks to Tbilisi, Georgia. Thanks for giving me one helluva year. Thanks for kicking my ass sometimes. Thanks for giving me the most amazing experiences, opportunities, stories, and memories. Thanks for making me into the woman I am proud to say I am today. Let’s make 2015 a year that can’t be beat, what do you say?
baratheonpilled
areudirty
pixelskylines
origamiaround
titsay
snowghoul
discoholicmusic