10 Months and still Honeymooning

 

Its been 10 months since we moved out from California, USA to British Columbia, Canada. 10 months is a pretty long time to get used to a new city and a new country. However, I still feel that I have not quite gotten used to my new surroundings. I feel like I am still on a long holiday and everything seems so comfortable, beautiful and yet, super hazy. If you've ever been on a honeymoon, you probably would understand what I'm talking about.  

It is not a culture shock that I faced when I moved from India to the USA as a student. It is not about feeling handicapped without a car or a driver's license. Luckily, I have both a driver's license and a car. It is also not about feeling lonely and missing family. My kids, hubby and the house chores leave me no time to feel lonely or to miss my family back in India.Then why do I feel like I'm honeymooning? Why do I feel like I am riding on a cloud? Why do I feel that my life is being lived by someone else and not me? What's going on?

 As I look back and reflect on the life I had back in California, USA, one thing stands out-I was not a stay at home mom. As a student and as an employee, I was surrounded by people. People who belonged to that country. People who were proud of their culture and heritage. People who welcomed multiculturalism with open arms. People who taught me how to love their country with the same patriotic fervor that I had for my own country of origin. It was from those people, that I learned to love my surroundings and call California my new home. 10 months here in Canada as a stay at home Mommy. Am I trying to quit my job of a stay at home mommy? Am I over my guilt of not having enough time with my family or for my hobbies? Maybe I am.  Maybe I'm not.

 I might not quit my stay at home mommy status at this point, however, I do have one thing clear. To step out of my honeymoon, I need to mingle with "Canadians" not just with Indians living in Canada but with people who were born here. People who have true patriotic fervor for their country. Although, Canada is a melting pot of immigrant families, yet, I am sure there are people out there who have lived here enough to call it their real home. The casual talking with other parents before and after picking up Aaliyah and Ayaan from school does help but it just ain't enough.

What do you think? Are you an immigrant or have an immigrant friend? Did you ever move across countries or even provinces? What did you do to befriend your new surroundings? I would love to know. In the meantime, I will have to come up with an idea to get myself out there with real Canadians. Let me sleep over it. I'm sure my little brain will figure something out in the midst of yet another busy day in the Mommyhood.