When we moved back we had to deal with downsizing living space drastically, finding roles and work, getting a car and a house as well as dealing with illness and family issues. I was dog tired from what we physically needed to do, but exhausted from all of the emotional output required of me. I probably would have done really well to read up on repatriation, but instead I went about things my own way and in hindsight this was a really bad idea.
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Sometimes I do still raise my eyebrows when people I
used to know through book group/walking club/meet ups tell me about things I already
know (because I was there. I did those
things with you. I still have those
memories so….why have I been forgotten?!)
But I also still find it hard to talk about where we lived and got up to
without worrying people will think I’m bragging
or being obnoxious. Unbeknownst to me
these are really common problems.
However whilst reading one of my favourite blogs
recently I noticed that they made a comment about ‘I am a Triangle’ which you
can read up about here. It explains some
of the ways that being a repatriate changes you and totally hit the nail on the
head for me….especially as I still think of Scotland as home.
The whole triangle thing goes a little bit deeper
seeing as when we flew in to Hong Kong to start our new adventure I played
Alt-J’s Tessellate on repeat. We were on
the plane, I saw Hong Kong coming into focus and I was just so full of
excitement and awe. Whenever I got
homesick in Singapore I played this song and it brought me right back to the
moment where I wanted nothing more than be away, doing something new, and making
my own way in another part of the world.
So there you go…..my triangle has come full circle. |
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Just so you
know, when we travelled back to Singapore from a ‘holiday’ in the UK I played
Mr Tembo non-stop, but when we moved back I watched The Judge to channel my
inner Robert Downey Jr…
