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大きな変動
日本で暮らした7年間は、カーナビに頼って車を運転していた筆者。最近、アメリカのとある街に引っ越したのだが、カーナビなしのドライブは混迷を極めてしまう。帰り道を探して2時間さまよい続けた揚げ句、景観に道を尋ねることができたのだが・・・。
The big move
I usually feel the words of a story percolating in my head while lying in bed, like the scent of coffee in the morning from the kitchen. The thoughts flow in a warming and comforting way and I am eager to get to my computer or bedside journal and get them down. This story began in much the same way.
I recently went through the process of moving, one of the great stresses of life. We didn't move just down the road, but across continents. It was going to be a big change in our lives; moving from Tokyo, one of the most urban of all cities, to the suburbs of America. But we love change. It shakes things up and keeps you growing and moving forward.
Living abroad allows you to develop an appreciation of many different cultures and countries. It gives you a point of reference about everything from the funny English signs, to the food, to the beauty that may get overlooked by the locals. As a Canadian, moving to the United States was not going to be the culture shock of moving to Asia. But it was still a big change. I worried I may not even find anything to write about. But it's been a week and I'm already sipping on the brew of new discoveries.
After completely relying on my GPS while driving in Japan for seven years, I was worried that my brain-mapping skills may have become nonexistent. I was pleased to find that they came back to life when needed. I found I could navigate using my memory and, occasionally, a map. Except for one day when I decided to take a leisurely drive around and challenge myself. However, after two hours, I stopped at a coffee shop to get some caffeine and ask a police officer for directions.
This is how the exchange went. "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Hingham? I live in Hingham but can't remember how to get there."
The police officer smiled and politely gave me directions while secretly making a note to contact the local clinics and ask if they had lost any patients recently. I thanked him and explained that I had been driving for nearly two hours to find my way home. I then drove away and missed the first right turn he had instructed me to take. I imagined him looking at me and thinking to himself: "No wonder you've been driving for two hours, lady. You just missed the first turn!" I thought he may come after me in the cruiser with his lights flashing. But he didn't and, eventually, I found my way home. Next week I may venture even further, but I'll bring a coffee and a better map.
- big move
- 大変動(moveには「引っ越し」の意味あり)
- words of a story
- 原稿を書くときの言葉
- percolating
- じわっと出てきて広がる
- scent
- 香り
- in a warming and comforting way
- 温かく心休まる形で
- journal
- 日記
- get 〜 down
- 〜を書き留める
- went through 〜
- 〜を経験した
- moving
- 引っ越し
- urban
- 都会的な
- suburbs
- 郊外
- shakes 〜 up
- 〜をしゃきっとさせる
- develop an appreciation
- 価値を理解する
- point of reference
- 評価基準
- signs
- 標識
- 〜 that may get overlooked by 〜
- 〜が見過ごしているかもしれない〜
- locals
- 地元の人々
- (am) sipping on the brew of 〜
- 〜を味わい始めている
- GPS(=global positioning system)
- 衛星利用測位システム
- was worried that 〜
- 〜が心配だった
- brain-mapping skills
- 地図を読んで道をたどる技術
- nonexistent
- 存在しない
- came back to life
- 蘇った
- navigate
- 道を進む
- Except for 〜
- 〜を除いて
- leisurely
- のんびりした
- challenge myself
- 自分自身に挑戦する
- caffeine
- カフェイン
- ask 〜 for directions
- 〜に道を尋ねる
- exchange
- やり取り
- making a note to 〜
- 〜しなくちゃと思う
- contact
- 〜と連絡を取る
- thinking to himself
- ひそかに考えながら
- No wonder 〜
- 〜も不思議じゃない
- cruiser
- パトカー
- with his lights flashing
- 赤色灯をつけて
- venture even further
- 思い切ってもっと遠くへ行く