Everything in Egypt has a layer of emotionality and complexity to it.
Everything — buying bananas, a chance meeting, a trip to the dentist.
Nuance is nestled in every exchange.
People often ask me, why Egypt? It’s such a crazy difficult place to be.
Yes, it is, and there's no place else I’d rather be.
I am here for the love of country and culture. My love for Egypt runs as far and wide as the River Nile itself.
It’s a people helping people culture
Egypt is a collective of people helping people. Everyone here has specialized knowledge. It’s a very DIY culture, and everyone contributes.
It's true, many streets here are nameless, only to be discovered by chance or happenstance if you’re lucky.
The flat I moved into is on such a street, yet to be named. My kind neighbor explained this to me. I am grateful for the valuable tidbit.
But there's always a workaround in Egypt, and she helped me pin my place on the map so delivery folks and Ubers can find me.
Someone always knows someone who can help. Thank all the various Gods because when you’re new in town, you need a lot of help.
Accepting help doesn't come easy for me, but I couldn't be more grateful for it here.
I knew the internet wouldn’t be great, but WOW
The internet doesn't care how badly you want or need it in Egypt. It doesn't care that you're a writer who needs to research, publish, and be connected.
You are on Egypt time now. Everyone is.
It happens when it happens and not a moment sooner. This phenomenon is a collective understanding.
Everyone is created equal where the internet is concerned in Egypt.
Funny enough, I brought a small wooden recorder before I moved here with the thought in mind — for when there's no internet connection, and I am seething with frustration.
Something tells me I may be the next recorder virtuoso.
Let your sense of humor lead the way
I sense a boatload of patience-themed life lessons on the horizon.
The great thing is life here is it moves at a decidedly slower pace, and I appreciate it so much.
Life in the United States is dizzying, and I can barely keep up.
Life here is more forgiving and reminds you control is futile.
You go easier on yourself, take many breaks and connect with friends to laugh about getting things done on Egyptian time.
Egyptian time is a formula that equates to 10 minutes = anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Egyptians are known for their cheeky sense of humor, and truthfully, it’s essential for managing day-to-day life.
I shall follow their lead.
Your attitude determines the outcome
They say attitude is everything — they are correct.
But what most people fail to understand is they're not at the mercy of their attitudes because it's a choice.
Yes, emotions can overwhelm you; they overwhelm me too.
But the more you practice accountability for your mindset, the more you understand how much power you have.
Not having consistent access to the internet could easily derail me and send me into a bonafide rage.
But instead, I’m going to work on my novel, write poetry, and play my recorder. Research, publishing, and everything else on the internet can wait.
In the end
Too often, we focus on what goes wrong, the lack of something, and why we can’t move forward.
But when we search for ways forward and reasons to appreciate what we have, a powerful inner shift takes root.
It's so simple and seemingly small — gratitude for what you have attracts more of what you want and focusing on what you lack emphasizes more of the same.
It's easy to count life's disappointments, but flip it over and try counting the blessings in your life too.
If you do you will find opportunities to free yourself from expectations and discover ways to move forward on a path to contentment.
My wish for you is to tune into everything right about your life and consider the time before when you wished for the things you now have.
For they, too, were a distant dream long ago.
I need coffee strong enough to wake up my ancestors! You can buy me one here if you enjoy my scribblings! Thanks for stopping by xoxo
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