Perception...it can change everything! Over the last month, AJ and I have informed our family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors of the next chapter in our life. There have been a variety of reactions and comments. One of the most common comments is, "They speak English...it is kinda like America."
As we are preparing to take on our new adventure, we have been learning as much as we can about our new culture. While the British do speak a version of English, that is where the similarities end.
One of the best pieces of we have received in this process has been, "Think brownies!" Now, let me explain. A coworker told AJ a story about his time overseas. One day while eating lunch with his coworkers, this man grabbed a dessert that looked like a piece of chocolate pie. After taking one bite, he felt it was a bit dry and not a terribly great piece of pie. When asked why he was not finishing his dessert, the man gave his opinion that it was a bit dry for a piece of chocolate pie. The man's friend explained the problem being his belief that the dessert was pie. The friend encourage AJ's coworker to take another bite but with this bite to think about a brownie. The next bite was delicious and a tasty brownie. It was all a matter of perception.
There are bound to be times we struggle with the cultural differences, but hopefully, we can remember, "Think brownies!" Hopefully, this will help us to remember to adjust our expectations and perceptions.
The next few weeks will be filled with packing up and preparing for the next adventure. Remember, we will always leave the lights on...there might even be a batch of brownies on the counter!
~W
