Surviving My First Week

The tree-lined path to my "home" at the Notre Dame University (Cotabato City, 2018)

Yesterday marked my first week in Cotabato City, my duty station for the next 12 months. The big leap meant having to leave not only the comforts of my home but also my son with whom I now have a long distance parenting relationship. Thanks to technology, the distance that felt daunting as I thought about it is turning out to be manageable.

The last week was a test to my adaptability.  Not only was the place new; I also had to learn to adapt ways that seemed unthinkable to me in my old world.  I never thought that eating in hole-in-the-wall eateries would one day become a daily thing for me.  I could take that once I a while when I had to do field work but not on a daily basis. Having a small bedroom for my personal space where I now do rice cooker cooking with non-rice meals was unthinkable. But with the pricey house rentals, I'm left with very little options. Fastfood meals from Jollibee and Chowking are an addition to my lunch options as these are the meals served during meetings. The last week saw my capacity to adapt expanding beyond what I could imagine possible for me.

Beyond the physical adjustments, there was also the challenge of learning to follow the rhythm of life here. Coming from an extremely fast-paced world, I struggled with how slow service was in the bank, in restaurants, in transport services, and in stores. While I struggle with this, I know deep inside that I am here for a reason. I need this kind of slow, not only in order for me to grow in patience but also because my spirit needs to slow down to be able to savor the present. I need this kind of slow to smell the roses, to notice the colors of the clouds as the sun sets, to enjoy walking on the tree-lined path on the way to my "home" here.

God had been extremely generous.  I may not have the kind of place and life I had imagined for myself here, but the closeness to nature inside the University where I now stay and the security I feel with the Sisters and the university community are gifts indeed. No, I can't have it all.  And I am, very slowly, learning to appreciate the gift in everything, even if and especially when things aren't turning out as I had expected.