My reality PRIOR to our arrival vs. the reality of actually living in Delhi, India ::
I thought I'd have more time to spend quality moments with my kids
I am working on this issue, but find it a struggle to set aside the issues of the day and really spend GOOD time with them.
I assumed I'd have the ability to see amazing things, daily, because so much history is right in my backyard
The last thing I want is to leave India, whenever that may be, and say "I wish I would have done ______." So often, the day ends and I realize that most of what I've "done" consists of running the kids to and fro, and managing the inane details of life in a foreign country. I need to just throw it to the wayside and make more of an effort to SEE what amazing things this country/city has to offer!
I just KNEW it would be easy to manage a household staff
Man, oh man. How hard can it be right? Really and truly, I promise I will blog about the truthfulness (as I see it) of having/maintaining a house full of staff. It needs its own post :)
I figured that as long as I bought "soft" toilet paper, my arse wouldn't suffer the wrath of random bouts of delhi belly
I'll spare you the details, but I have come to realize that I may be one of those expats who suffers a regular occurrence of delhi belly, not just only upon arrival into the city!
I planned on Skype being used DAILY
I am so sorry for those of you who want to Skype with us! I love that Skype is available, but with the time difference, it has been posing a difficulty, what with OUR mornings being full with getting ready for school (your evenings back in the States) and our evenings are smooshed with baths, dinner, homework, etc. (your mornings back in the States). I can only say that I'm sorry ... I really did intend for it to be a more regular point of contact!
I had no idea for what on earth I would use the randomly packed 20 bottles of baby powder I packed
Can I just say that baby powder greatly reduces the deadly combination of high temperatures and sweat?
I didn't realize that we would NOT have an actual mailbox, where letters and cards would arrive from home
Oh, do I miss having a mailbox ... we miss the reliability of the USPS! We miss handwritten communication from home!
I was told it would be hard to find Kraft Mac N' Cheese
The ONLY thing we miss on a regular basis that is not available here (at least I haven't found it yet) is beef jerky and 'Nilla Wafers. Oh, and Doritos/Cheetos/Pringles that aren't stale and/or crushed to bits before even opening.
I planned on having days of peace and quiet, more time to volunteer and an opportunity to 'find myself'
I am intentionally setting out to create this environment ... but the opportunities sure aren't knocking down my door without an unexpected addition of chaos!
I said "I can't be "THAT" hot
Just this week, it has started to cool off in Delhi. What an amazing and welcomed respite! It was HOT people. Hot, dripping and overwhelming the minute you step outside your front door in the morning! Don't let me complain about the "winter" here!
Do you ever look at your life through on an old movie reel and think "wow, I *never* thought I'd be doing _________ ... 10 years fast forwarded"
10 years ago, I was a single mom to Terran (who was 4ish). I was working at a law office as a paralegal and bartending most nights to (1) earn extra money and (2) have somewhat of a social life. I can honestly say that I *NEVER* would have imagined I'd be living in Delhi, India as an expat housewife ten years later.
At the same time though, I also can honestly say that my family would exclaim, "I wouldn't put it past her" to have agreed to (and encouraged it) something like this.
I am consistently amazed at how little I knew about being an expat, life in Delhi and living abroad before coming here. I am consciously aware of how I dictate assumptions very quickly into a form of reality.
Do you ever realize that what you THOUGHT about something, was indeed quite different than the reality of a situation?
