All my life, I have moved and lived in various places. My dad had a transferable job and after I got married, so did my husband. I have lived in about 11 cities and two countries now. Apart from English, I speak 5 Indian languages (out of which I can read
and write four). I never learnt any of these languages in school (other than Hindi, which was a second language). I just picked them up by constantly listening to them. I also got the alphabet books of these languages and asked a lot of questions (as a child) to anyone who was willing to answer. I remember reading all the film posters (as they would typically have large letters) in regional languages and feeling very proud as it was something I had taught myself.
I think living in different places teaches you a lot. You learn about various customs, culture, cuisine and a whole lot of other things unique to that region. You learn to make friends. You learn to blend in and yet retain your own identity. You learn to get along. You learn to respect boundaries. You learn that it is okay to be different and it is these very differences that make us rich.
Many people ask me if it was difficult to keep moving so much and whether I found it hard to 'adjust' to a new place. To be honest I never even thought of the 'difficulty level' involved, because, for me a leap into the unknown is always exciting. I love it! I have lived in a place where the temperatures touch 45 degrees Celsius during summer and have lived in another place, where it has touched a minus 15 during winter! Was living in these places hard? I don't know--I was having too many new experiences and soaking it all in, feeling fortunate that I got a chance to experience it! How many people in the world get chances like that? That was the way I viewed it. Which was good, because it was not like I had a choice, anyway :)
Also, a new place is a new possibility. There are so many things waiting to be discovered. There are so many options waiting to be explored. It is like starting life afresh.
If you get a chance to move to a new place, grab it. If you are a person who does not like change, you might be uncomfortable at first. But that is good, because it pushes you to do new things. Things that you might not have done in your comfort zone.
And no matter where you move, the human emotions are just the same. We all need love and warmth. We need people whom we are comfortable with. People who accept you for who you are. We need a cozy hidey-hole called home to come back to.
If you have that,be grateful and say a little prayer, for indeed you are blessed.
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