My Mum Used To Call Herself A Trailing Vagabond. Now I’m One Too. Allow me to introduce myself.

Do I mind being called a trailing spouse? Well, despite all the groan inducing associations that come with the label, I no longer let it bother me. I know that I’m more than what many people view as part of the luggage my husband has to carry around as he pursues his career and provides for the family.

                                                                     

When I first learned that my husband and I were about to embark on the adventures of a nomadic life, I couldn’t quite contain my excitement. Thanks to my father’s mobile occupation, I’d been fortunate enough to experience an itinerant lifestyle as a child and sure enough those memories of my life as a global child (admittedly viewed through rose tinted spectacles) added just the right amount of fuel to my excitement.

So who am I?

Hi everyone. Before I go any further, let me introduce myself. My name’s Bel, originally from England, and for the past 12 years I’ve lived in Malaysia, China, Thailand and now, closer to home in Poland. Although I wouldn’t change anything about my life for the last 12 years, I must admit that back when we got the news of my husband’s posting, and once the initial and quite over-the-top thrill had simmered, I was hit by the sobering realisation that I was no longer the malleable child who could be uprooted without too much of an upsetting impact. I had a career and….gulp…a mortgage (career’s gone, but mortgage’s still there, sadly) and oh, we’d started planning to have a baby, since we had a very strong support network of family and friends to see us through the trials of juggling work and child rearing.

Having to give up my career was difficult but I consoled myself and relied on the fact that I had many interests and skills that were transportable and would see me through my days of trailing behind my husband in far off lands. But wait….trailing…..really? I prefer not to call it trailing, rather accompanying, supporting, planning and organising and now that we do have a child, raising a child far away from the support of family and friends.

 I’m an avid fan of sport, particularly tennis and I don’t just sit and watch. Every chance I get, I’ll go out and have a play about, and if ever I’m lucky to find a large enough group of enthusiasts, you’ll see me out there in Boudicca mode brandishing a hockey stick or, waving a cricket bat – er….with the intention of actually playing the sports in question.

                                                           

But it’s not just self-centred entertainment, which keeps me going. Along with a group of other socially stigmatised ‘trailers,’ I do some voluntary work, mainly at but not just confined to orphanages. We look for ways that we can help and give back to the communities of our host countries without just fundraising and pouring money into the pockets of dubiously named charities. We organise sporting events, sometimes corporate events and social events. Many of us also find ourselves helping out in local schools, as many often seek native English speakers to teach English. I had no teaching qualification when I started, but I loved teaching so much that I took a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course and now I feel less like an imposter and think I’m actually giving the children value.

Having lived abroad for so long, it's a given that I love to travel and I always take a keen interest in the culture of the people wherever I live or visit. I try to learn enough of the language of my host country to get by, plus I find it enriches my experience. I also love music, especially music from different regions around the world. I read as much as I can when time allows and I enjoy writing, mostly just private musings.

So, what brings me to Steemit? I have been looking for ways I can earn online and started researching cryptocurrencies and how to earn or mine. I came across a number of blogs/posts about Steemit, which piqued my interest and I visited the site to check it out. I started reading various posts and comments and I felt encouraged to join the community, particularly since the majority of people on Steemit seem welcoming and supportive. I hope that I can participate and that I might in some way have something of interest that I can share with the community.