Hey — Umm, Whoops.
So I’ve been living in Amalfi since March and haven’t done much to publish about life here.
My only excuse – life *really* happened.
Within a few weeks of stepping off the plane, I discovered some very exciting and wholly unexpected news: We’re pregnant!
So, between traveling to see family and friends while navigating the pitfalls of first-trimester gestation — ugh, nausea – I have neglected all things MCD. Meanwhile, so many wonderful moments have come and gone with no time to reflect on them. Time flies at the speed of light, especially when you’re a gestating woman with a newfound love of naps.
Navigating Pregnancy Challenges in a Foreign Country
Experiencing your first pregnancy while living abroad is both challenging and freeing. Challenging for the obvious: My Italian is far from fluent. I am, therefore, entirely dependent on my partner to seek out physicians, secure appointments, and translate both for myself and the doctors in charge of my care. As someone who enjoys control, I have had to learn to surrender to my host family’s care and trust that my growing bump and I are in good hands.
Reflections on Loss and New Beginnings
Freedom comes on the heels of surrender when releasing your grip allows you to fling your arms into the air and give way to the undulating forces of life.
When Tory died, I had to accept that despite my attempts to keep a tight grip on our relationship, my best friend was slowly slipping away and giving in to an end that would part us forever. It was a dizzying experience that hit a slew of reset buttons, which ultimately opened the doors I stepped through to land in the life I now live and have decided to share with you.
Finding Freedom in Surrender
Pregnancy abroad is no tragedy, but there is pain—the pain of being lonely and not being able to share all the weirdness and wonder with your closest girlfriends. At the same time, I have enjoyed the immense kindness and compassion of others that we all crave and yet so rarely call upon. I don’t like asking for help, and yet help is all I can ask for.
When you let go and learn to trust, you discover that things will be okay. Maybe the doctor’s office isn’t the chic, air-conditioned interior you thought you spent your life working towards getting care in, but the doctor sitting behind her paper-filled desk is calm, attentive, and generous with her time. You get same-day appointments with specialists who beckon you into their office without any waiting time and treat you on the spot.
I realize I’m in a position of privilege, but I know that you, dear reader, are probably too. Never forget to count your blessings, learn to lean on the resources in front of you, and remember that sometimes, less is more.
