Late last month Andrew and I headed of in two different global directions.  Andrew went to host a town meeting in Columbus Ohio for multiple myeloma patients, then to Houston for a series of appointments, then to Chicago to see Ari run in his first ever marathon.  I headed out the same day to Vienna, Austria to the largest European conference of medical professionals researching and treating various types of cancer and patient advocates working on behalf of patients dealing with these illnesses.  While we both have not yet finished our respective travels, I thought I’d share some thoughts about my experience from the standpoint of coming into yet another new country as a “European transplant” and not an “American” …a bit of an identity crisis in miniature.

Thought #1:  No, I actually do not understand what you are saying. Just as I was getting used to hearing mainly Spanish in the streets, beginning to understand more than not, and feeling less like a foreigner, I get dropped into a world of German, of which I speak a maximum of two words and understand even less.   Once inside the walls of the conference hall there were many people who spoke English, but walking around on my own, doing some sightseeing – man, I now understand what isolation feels like.  Not having either spent any real time in German-speaking countries before, and never having learned any German in school, this was a rude awakening for me.  The few words I learned in Yiddish when I was much younger actually helped a little bit as there are some cross-over words and expressions I could figure out.  But the change to Spain was much less jarring because I’d had the background in the language and frankly much more exposure to the Mediterranean culture through previous travel.  Reading signs was a trippy exercise – names all end in “plazt” “stadt” and they are often really, really long!  I made a point of simply memorizing the metro stop my hotel is at, and the name of the major street closest to where I am staying, so I haven’t gotten lost yet.  Now I understand what my parent felt like when they visited China – that had to be even more challenging.

 Thought #2:  There is a reason we chose to move to Spain.  I am hoping I can articulate this in a politically correct and sensitive way, and it is meant with the upmost respect for the wonderful people I have been meeting in Austria…there is palpable difference in comfort level I personally feel in certain cultures versus others.  It’s not any one thing – it’s a mish-mash of intangibles…how people interact with each other – is it warm and open, or is it more reserved and formal?…how most people view exercise and diet – do they generally eat healthfully, do they smoke, do they exercise regularly?…what the artistic scene focuses on…and on and on.  I want to be sure this doesn’t get interpreted as judgmental – it’s about what feels comfortable for me.   It hit me clearly during my time in Austria why we gravitated to Spain versus many other places in the world – it just felt more right for us than other options.

Thought #3:  I love the challenge of navigating through the unknown.  My earlier commentary aside,  I have seriously confirmed that I thrive on the opportunity to interact outside my daily comfort zone. Call me crazy, call me a masochist, but I get energized by actually having to set aside my standard expectations and figure out how to function and get what need done within a different set of norms or cultural parameters.

I am guessing that as we explore more places from this new geographical vantage point I will have even more “hmmm…hadn’t thought about that” moments to share.