Asia Dream
May 15, 2014
Sultry breezes, beautiful dawn and sunsets, colorful traditions, coconuts and exotic tropical fruit.. life in Asia is like a dream now.
The gratifying parts of Southeast Asia, China, 3 Malaysian cultures, Bhutan, festivals, TCM and Chinese culture as well as the negative parts, like the endless equitorial heat, Dengue and toxic fogging, wild traffic, bus adventures, pollution, rats and food issues all seem almost like a distant memory now.
It is amazing how quickly one adapts to new realities in this around-the-world, travel lifestyle.
Jump on a plane and one is in a whole new world, but no matter how different, it all seems normal to us as we have gained extraordinary adaptability and flexibility.
We went to Asia for one reason and that was to get Mandarin fluency and literacy for our trilingual child, plus a deep understanding of this part of our world. Deep Asian roots for my blond "non-Asian" 21st century child in our shrinking world.
That mission is now accomplished, so we are all very grateful for that and the many things learned in Asia and amazing people we met and befriended. Some day we shall return, but not for a while likely.
Now Mozart teaches others her 3 languages as she starts learning a fourth and focuses on music.
Every place has it's pros and cons, poverty and luxury, good and bad news, but only by staying a while, living like a local, making friends, dipping into local schools, and walking the land, can one get a better understanding and deeply connect.
If there is one most important lesson that we have learned in our 8 plus years of non-stop travel, it is that the human race, in all it's myriad forms, is basically good and we all have the same basic desires for love, validation, security.
Having spent most of three years based in Asia, just like spending most of 5 years in Europe, they are now part of us that we take with us where ever we go.
Multiculturalism and global perspective is learned through living and now part of Mozart's DNA.
Not as expats with business, diplomatic, government or missionary communities and international schools, but as independent travelers choosing to worldschool and be a digital nomad family who choose to live like locals, creating a unique, new way of living as global citizens.
Recently 13 year old Mozart sang in Mandarin at a Chinese festival in Dallas Chinatown. Having lived in Asia and speaking the language, made it a very different experience for us, than it would be for a typical American family.
It felt normal to be one of the only Caucasians in the large crowd and the food, cultural icons, language, sights, that reminded us of "home" ( or one of our homes), felt familiar and comforting. We have multiple nostalgia from all our many homes and life experiences!
Sometimes one doesn't know how much slow travel has changed you until you return to your home country for a visit.
Sultry breezes, beautiful dawn and sunsets, colorful traditions, coconuts and exotic tropical fruit.. life in Asia is like a dream now.
The gratifying parts of Southeast Asia, China, 3 Malaysian cultures, Bhutan, festivals, TCM and Chinese culture as well as the negative parts, like the endless equitorial heat, Dengue and toxic fogging, wild traffic, bus adventures, pollution, rats and food issues all seem almost like a distant memory now.
It is amazing how quickly one adapts to new realities in this around-the-world, travel lifestyle.
Jump on a plane and one is in a whole new world, but no matter how different, it all seems normal to us as we have gained extraordinary adaptability and flexibility.
We went to Asia for one reason and that was to get Mandarin fluency and literacy for our trilingual child, plus a deep understanding of this part of our world. Deep Asian roots for my blond "non-Asian" 21st century child in our shrinking world.
That mission is now accomplished, so we are all very grateful for that and the many things learned in Asia and amazing people we met and befriended. Some day we shall return, but not for a while likely.
Now Mozart teaches others her 3 languages as she starts learning a fourth and focuses on music.
Every place has it's pros and cons, poverty and luxury, good and bad news, but only by staying a while, living like a local, making friends, dipping into local schools, and walking the land, can one get a better understanding and deeply connect.
If there is one most important lesson that we have learned in our 8 plus years of non-stop travel, it is that the human race, in all it's myriad forms, is basically good and we all have the same basic desires for love, validation, security.
Having spent most of three years based in Asia, just like spending most of 5 years in Europe, they are now part of us that we take with us where ever we go.
Multiculturalism and global perspective is learned through living and now part of Mozart's DNA.
Not as expats with business, diplomatic, government or missionary communities and international schools, but as independent travelers choosing to worldschool and be a digital nomad family who choose to live like locals, creating a unique, new way of living as global citizens.
Recently 13 year old Mozart sang in Mandarin at a Chinese festival in Dallas Chinatown. Having lived in Asia and speaking the language, made it a very different experience for us, than it would be for a typical American family.
It felt normal to be one of the only Caucasians in the large crowd and the food, cultural icons, language, sights, that reminded us of "home" ( or one of our homes), felt familiar and comforting. We have multiple nostalgia from all our many homes and life experiences!
Sometimes one doesn't know how much slow travel has changed you until you return to your home country for a visit.
« previous | | next »
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e5502a9507883301a5117d31ad970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Asia Dream:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
What's next now that you've left Asia? Are you back in the States?
Love keeping up with you guys. It's very inspirational.
Posted by: Alessandra | July 05, 2014 at 04:30 AM