Weekends https://lauravanderkam.com/2012/08/weekends-chores/ provide an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation before the impending chaos and clutter. However, the experience differs for individuals living abroad, a sentiment many can relate to. In this blog, I aim to illuminate the weekend grind by outlining the contrast between expectations and reality when it comes to household chores.

No matter where we live, keeping a tidy home is something we all gotta do. But let’s face it, dust just keeps piling up no matter what. Weekends in a different country are totally different from those back home. When we’re abroad, we gotta handle everything ourselves, while in our home country, we’ve got family and domestic help to lend a hand.

The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug.

Pico Iyer

Wanna know the deets of from dawn to dusk by listing out the contrasts in a day in my life via my own words, click on Weekend Time Warp : Mystery Of Fast-Flying Days – Wander, Feast & Thrive

Expectations Versus Reality : Household Chores Unplugged : The Weekend Grind

No matter whether we engage in traditional 9 to 5 work, content creation, or produce vlogs for YouTube channels, all of these activities constitute work. Weekdays often become significantly busy, regardless of our location. However, the experience of weekends differs when residing in our home country, as they are reserved for relaxation and rejuvenation in preparation for the upcoming week. The dynamic shifts when living abroad. As you are aware, we have been residing in Canada for the past 1 year and 9 months, where we are responsible for managing all household chores and tasks independently.

We all desire to rest and sleep until 12 pm on weekends, indulge in our favorite beverages, either prepare our own meals or dine out, and return home late in the night to conclude the day. However, it is essential to consider the reality. Weekends do not transpire as envisioned or desired.

After awakening, weekends burst into life with vibrant energy. We dive headfirst into our regular duties, savoring a steaming cup of our favorite beverage that warms our soul, relish a delightful breakfast, bring order to our surroundings, and eagerly craft a dynamic list of tasks. Then, we passionately reconnect with our beloved family in India, and thus, our exhilarating weekend adventure begins!

A Reality Check Up : Household Chores : The Weekend Grind

We all want our place to be super clean, even when it gets really messy. But let’s be real, it’s a lot for one person to handle. It starts with vacuuming the floors, emptying out the vacuum, taking out the trash, and using the chute to drop it from the upper floors. Then there’s gathering up all the boxes to toss in the dumpster downstairs or outside, scrubbing the bathrooms, tubs, and all the accessories, doing the laundry, cleaning the kitchen counters, getting rid of expired stuff, loading and unloading the dishwasher, folding clothes, and organizing the closets.

Right from putting together our furniture, filling up the fridge, and grocery shopping to stocking our locker rooms with bags and boxes because not everything fits in our house, we’ve got to do every little task ourselves. Unlike back home, we can’t hire help while living abroad. That’s the reality check. But our expectations are different. Setting aside one day on the weekend just to handle our tasks is totally necessary. Only one day goes according to plan.

I am completely certain that these experiences resonate with all those living abroad. When residing in our home countries, we can rely on the support of our family and household help. However, living abroad may give the impression of an easy life. The reality, however, proves to be quite different.

Conclusion

No matter the location of our residence, the expectations for the weekend often differ from the reality. Engaging in household chores independently can be both tiresome and gratifying. However, we have the freedom to schedule these tasks according to our convenience. Therefore, let us take the opportunity to rejuvenate ourselves and lead our lives with tranquility and serenity, aiming for peace and calm. Here’s to harmoniously and peacefully living our lives.