Tianjin Trip: Part 2 - Transition Seminar

The primary reason our family traveled to Tianjin the second weekend in March was to attend a "Leaving Well" seminar sponsored by the Tianjin International School.  Not only was this seminar interactive and fun - for Emily and I as well as the older two kids - but it also introduced us to key practices to help our upcoming return to the U.S. in practical ways.  It helped us understand healthy ways to both prepare to leave our life here in Shanghai and begin to set up a new life in Minneapolis.

The staff at the school did an incredible job of hosting, including having a delicious formal lunch.

The seminar was very interactive as both the kids and adults had an opportunity to make crafts to help us more deeply understand the concepts from the class.

Below is Miriam's beautiful picture of leaving China.  On the left is her Chinese nick name (美) transposed on top of "M" representing how she feels both Chinese and American; on the right is her heart that is a mixture of both cultures.

Miriam's Picture

Asa also got into the action by making a raft; this raft is a teaching tool to help the kids understand key practices for healthy transition through R.A.F.T. (Reconcile, Affirm, Farwell, Think Destination).

Asa and His Raft

Emily and I also got into the craft action by building a picture of transition.  A key concept was that of "apairofducks" or paradox, which points out that in any transition there are both happy changes (AKA "yeah ducks") and sad changes (AKA "yuck ducks").  We want to fully process both the happy and the sad while making sure we have a lot of fun in the process.

A Pair of Ducks Having Fun

It's impossible to summarize a day-long session on transition.  However, the fundamentals are captured in this slide I shared with a group of expatriates here in Shanghai.

Below is more detail about these 4 key ideas and how we are using them as a family:

• Transition is a Process:  We are already preparing physically and emotionally for our move date of June 29 and expect to need up to a year to feel at "home" after we move to Minneapolis. 
• Rock: Our family routines bring stability to our lives and the lives of our children - even as the world around them changes.  This means scheduled time as a family (Daddy Dates, Family Nights, etc) and as a couple (weekly dates) are even more important than normal.
• Paper: Time moves especially fast in transition and we want to intentionally capture favorite places and times with dear friends. Posting pictures on this blog plays a critical role as does being very deliberate about setting up time with friends before we leave.
• Scissors: It takes a significant amount of energy to prepare for and execute transition, which means we need to focus on doing less in the transition period.  

If you want to learn more about ideas on leaving well, these blog posts from the instructor of our course are invaluable tools:

• Rock - http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1056
• Paper - http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1124
• Scissors - http://www.thecultureblend.com/?p=1174