When in Rome, Do as The Romans Do

Embracing a new culture can be both exciting and genuinely intimidating. The desire to belong is strong, and the need to find the familiar can be overwhelming. To gain a sense of belonging, a person should adapt and embrace new customs. However, doing so can be mentally exhausting. Finding a balance between excitement and intimidation can decrease this level of exhaustion. A purposeful mix of new and familiar belongings and experiences can balance the scales.

When you explore a new culture or situation, it may be difficult to anticipate what will spark excitement or be intimidating. When we arrived in Australia, it was obvious that walking or riding a bicycle to work and on day-to-day errands was commonplace in our Birtinya, Queensland neighborhood. The idea of biking to the grocery was exciting. I quickly decided to purchase a bicycle. I have lived most of my life miles outside of the city limits on dirt/gravel roads. Not the ideal setup for biking to the grocery. Though not a new concept, biking for day-to-day transportation has been an adventure.

Some of you may remember my bicycle accident during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Though there were no broken bones, the injuries left visible scars and created unease when biking for fear of having another biking accident. I didn’t feel comfortable with my ability to bike successfully. I mention this to provide context as to exactly how intimidating riding a bicycle is for me. That said, riding the bike makes me smile every single time.

Putting safety first, I purchased a helmet and wear it while biking without exception. I’m building my confidence by riding on the walk/bike paths and have not yet tried maneuvering the bike lanes within vehicle traffic.

I purchased three flowerpots for our balcony to balance the newness of daily biking with a familiar hobby. The pots currently host herbs, cherry tomatoes, and, at Kevin’s request, a hot pepper plant. I'm drawn to the familiarity of gardening when I return from a biking adventure. After the bike and groceries are put away, I can be found tending my balcony garden. This small balcony garden provides the familiarity needed to offset the stress created by the intimidating newness of biking. The process of gardening helps me relax, providing a coveted familiar routine.

Until Next Time,

Dana