Adjusting to the New

Many of us have to change the locations, places in our lifetime. For education, jobs and for many other reasons. Most of the times its inevitable and we have to go for it. New city, different states or sometimes to other country as well.

It seems difficult to cope up with this change, like many other changes, but somehow we adapt to it. Somehow we get adjusted to it. It starts with the first day. At new place, checking the right corner for the mirror for shaving, place for daily needed things like clothes, shoes, etc. Then you come out of home for a tea. You walk on the road in search of a tea shop. On the way you try to find out if anything related to your native place. Names on the shops, you try to listen attentively, if anyone talking in the language of our hometown. You keep trying if you can get anything closer to your native.

Finally, you find the tea shop, not far from your new place. While having tea, you check the surrounding and turn back to home – same path, not here and there. Then get ready for office, one corner, where you get the cab or auto. At office too, you take a stroll, not too far – again with the same thought of finding something related to you.

In the evening, while going for dinner, you have to increase the radius of your exploration, few metres ahead on the same road that of the tea shop. You find a suitable hotel/restaurant and that’s it. Again while coming back, not to leave the path, took while going there. Not an inch here and there. Same square, same corner, no changes at all. Day after day, same ritual – tea shop, office stroll, dinner to same hotel. For a week or two, you won’t leave that circumference.

Then slowly, you get to connect the dots, you come to know, this right, will connect the same route to the home, you try that to find out, it’s the easiest shortcut. You somehow find out the bus stop nearby, taking you to the office, almost at 1/4^th of the fare you pay for auto or cab. Now you become a native of that place. You know everything, the malls, shops for daily needs, cinemas, temples, various shortcuts, how to avoid signals and many more.

For few it may take just a week or two, for people like me, it may take a month or two, but we all get adjusted to the new. Now you get so expert that, if someone asks for any address, you tell like – go straight, take left at the xyz tea shop, walk for 200mtrs and your destination will be at your right hand. Just like the lady guiding us on the Google map.

Vb