Moving to a new country has its moments:

It’s exciting. It’s new. There’s an adrenaline rush.

But, it’s also nerve-wrecking and scary.

Unlike America, Mongolia follows its own set of rules. The country is still developing but its culture and traditions have been firmly rooted in Mongolian life for hundreds of years. It has all been a whirl wind for me.

When thrown into a country that is not your own, you will experience:

1. A new language that can create excitement when you can understand something or frustrations when you have no idea what is being said.
2. A new sense of time. America is a punctual country. More then 5-minutes late and you are questioned or given a warning while you try to put the blame on how bad the traffic was or how the train was delayed. In Mongolia, if you are more then 30-minutes late, no questions are asked. You simply say, “I was at the market,” “I had to go to the bank,” “I had to eat lunch,” or absolutely nothing.
3. A new work environment. In Mongolia, classes are run differently and are more teacher focused then student focused. For example, students aren’t asked for their opinion on subject matter and there is a lack of critical thinking. Substitute teachers don’t exist. If a teacher can’t come to school another teacher will cover their classes.
4. A lot of staring. Wherever I go, whatever I do, I always get stared at. When I got a haircut, I had 6 people staring unflinchingly at me through the mirror. Many Mongolians have never seen an American before and that I understand, so I say hi to the children or I look straight ahead and ignore it, but I also have moments when I don’t want to leave my home.
5. New holidays such as Mongolian New Year, Tsagaan Sar, and Naadam, Mongolia’s summer holiday.
6. Different weather. Winter and summer are Mongolia’s dominant seasons. Luckily, I’m from Chicago so the cold winter didn’t throw me off kilter. In the fall, it will start to snow as early as September and in the spring we get wind and dust storms.
7. A new diet. Mongolia has no seafood and unless you are in UB, there is no Mexican, Indian, or sushi to be eaten.

But you can also make new friends, eat new food, discover a new talent, explore, make great memories, and become aware of what you are capable of when on your own in a foreign country.  

Therefore, it has become essential for me to find ways to relax. To have myself a comfortable alcove where it’s just me and for a few hours the outside world doesn’t exist.

So, what do I do?

I’m trying to live with some “Hygge” in my life – (not to be confused with “lagom” which is something else entirely).

Pronounced “Hoo guh,” hygge is, “A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”

The key words being cozy and content.

My main ingredients for such a feeling consists of:

• Tea
• Fuzzy socks
• Comfortable pants
• Candles
• My kindle, I have already read 25 books, or my hard drive of movies.
• Music
• Baked goods that I either buy or bake myself.
• Cat naps as I bask in the sun that shines through my windows.

When something causes me stress or frustration, it’s important that I have a comfortable home away from home to come back to.