Cross-Cultural Marriage

I read a lot of blogs, well I don't have time to keep up with all of them. But a lot of them show up on my reading list and at times I read a lot of them. I love keeping up with people I know and people that interest me. There are so many amazing people on my reading list.

As I have tried to discover my niche in this blogging world. I have been pondering what makes each of the blogs that I most enjoy reading unique. I have decided that there is a part of that person's life that makes them unique. Something they are an expert at or something they are wading through. Something that they can share with the rest of us- whether that be parenting, home school, jewelry, fashion, or something else.

I have been wondering what makes me and my life unique. There are many things I could choose, but the things I think would be most interesting to share and to learn about from others are: What life is like in another country for an American. And the quirks and tips in and for international marriages.

For anyone living in an international marriage or relationship you have your whole slew of stories and advice. I would love to hear from you on this topic. I love marriage advice when it helps lead to more happy moments together.

Of course the biggest obstacle in any relationship where you come from two different cultures is the language and the numerous misunderstandings that can and DO occur. We could write whole books on that.

Then you throw in the obstacle of living in the other person's culture and not your own. With this we get all kind of cultural differences, misunderstanding and funny stories.

My earliest silly story of life as a bride in a foreign country has to do with cooking. My husband likes all kinds of roots; beets, black radishes, celery root, etc. He had purchased a variety of these and so I, being the the good housewife decided to boil some beets for salad. I had eaten beets on occasion growing up in the states- but they are not particularly popular in my family. I boiled that beet for at least an hour and it would not get tender!  I began to wonder if this was going to be worth the time and electricity to get that beet cooked!

When my husband got home he "tested" it for me and began to laugh. He informed me that I was boiling a black radish and not a beet at all! Black radishes are not cooked, they are grated in salads and they don't get tender (I guess). I was embarrassed not to  have known the difference and accounted that to never having seen a black radish in my entire life. Of course I just assumed it was a beet. Ha, ha!

And so begins my tales of my life and love in a country other than my own- which I now call home.

One of Them

If you have ever had the chance to live abroad for an extended amount of time or perhaps have permanently changed your country of residence perhaps you have encountered the feelings of "belonging."

6  years ago I moved from the USA to Latvia. I came as an English teacher to teach in a church. Yes, my ancestors on my Dad's side are from this land. But I am American.

I love Latvia. I love living my life  somewhere other than where I grew up. But sometimes I wonder if I am really one of these people. I wonder have they accepted me? Do I belong? Am I one of them? In some ways I have carved that niche and "fit" but at other times I feel such an outsider.

There is so much red tape to living in another country- things that we never encounter in America. Things we take for granted in our own country. Arranging documents for living abroad, using another language fluently, just learning to make the best use of the local products that are cheapest and healthiest.

What are your experiences of living and belonging in another country?