Bee Girl

This week, my "Discover Weekly" Spotify playlist included "No Rain" by Blind Melon. I kind of giggled to myself as I remembered the video of that cute little girl in the bee costume, bopping around, trying to figure out what to do and where to go. First she is on stage,  tap dancing with great confidence, only to get laughed to tears off stage. Then she goes wandering, dancing, and encountering people who just don't get her.

*Spoiler alert* In the end, she discovers a garden filled with other bees. Her people.

Finding your bees can be so hard. Especially when your previous life experiences are vastly different that everyone you seem to encounter. Middle school was hard for me. I wanted so much to fit in, and didn't... and it took a long time to find my bees. We have been out of Shanghai for over six months now, and I still feel so unrelatable. I think part of it is the transition from East to West, but an even bigger part is the switch from city to country. I'm hoping former city dwellers can attest to that.

China has made me crave spicy food always and take my shoes off indoors, among other things. City life has made me expect diversity and culture around every corner, oh, and taxis. Why aren't there taxis driving around these country roads looking for passengers!?

My Shanghai bees

This week I went to a MOPS (moms of preschoolers) group for the first time. On Sunday, I began to meet fellow churchgoers in a small group. I've also become acquainted with some moms in the area via Meetup.com.

Maybe I haven't exactly stumbled upon a group of people dancing around in bee costumes that I can identify with at first glance. But, I've met so many moms. And we can be as different as night and day (some of us are). But you know what we have in common? Birth stories, sleepless nights, teething, potty training, and whatever is next in this wacky freak show. Motherhood will always provide instant camaraderie if you allow it. I found my new group of bees just by having kids. That was easy enough!