4. You Must Adapt to the Unexpected
Viewers watch as Piper Chapman slowly adapts to life in prison. What once seemed so foreign to her — the other inmates, the corrections officers, the rhythm of life behind bars — becomes routine. She starts to understand and navigate the system. She makes friends, works, and acclimates. Much the same thing happens in an overseas move. Upon landing I thought, “There is no way I can live here.” And yet slowly I have. Laundry is done every day due to our small washer. Navigating by landmark rather than street name or address is becoming second nature. And sweeping up dust under the doors and windows is routine. It doesn’t feel like home, but it certainly feels less foreign.