Good feeling about this year

Мы родились в тесных квартирах новых районов,
Мы потеряли невинность в боях за любовь.
Нам уже стали тесны одежды,
Сшитые вами для нас одежды,
И вот мы пришли сказать вам о том, что дальше...

Дальше действовать будем мы!
Виктор Цой "Дальше действовать будем мы!"

(Lyrics in russian & english translation can be found here. )
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I started writing a short comment to this post by Polina, but somehow it grew and morphed into something, which isn’t exactly the answer to her. Plus I didn’t have any ideas for the usual quote of the week post, so here it is instead:

I also struggle with the recurring feeling of not belonging, of being different, of not fitting in, of still not always knowing the accepted rituals governing the everyday interactions. Having a sense of belonging to a community was one of my biggest desires for a very long time. But it is no longer as strong. I’m not sure why. Maybe leaving in London changed my perspective: there are so many people here, who are also from somewhere else and are here temporary only. Maybe it was noticing that underneath all the differences many experiences are the same (and motherhood for me is a big example of it). Maybe it was finding wonderful women I could relate to all over the world in blogoshpere.

I feel like I don't belong anywhere, but at the same time that can I belong everywhere. Since becoming a mother, my identity (or my perception of it) shifted again and I’m still trying to figure out who I am. But there are many more moment in my life when I feel that I belong. Like sitting with you, Polina, in a café in Berlin sipping tea and chatting – that is us: similar and dissimilar, connected by blood and friendship, separated by distance, but being able to meet up in different towns, countries and even continents. I’m grateful for getting a chance to experience different cultures. New experiences lead to questioning my own values and believes, which isn’t always fun. But at the same time the constant search for better understanding is integral part of my identity. I hope that by trying to understand myself, different societies, the world I’m becoming a better, kinder, more patient person.

We belong to so many places and people. The intricate web of our friendships and culture is not always easily defined from geographical viewpoint, but it exists - wide, varied, multicoloured. There is always someone, who knows all the words to our favourite songs; can reminiscences with us about our favourite hang-outs in Melbourne or gets homesick for our homecooked salad (*waves at Eugine*). After a difficult and not always happy last year, I have a very positive feeling about this one. I hope you, my dear friends in London, Australia and across the world, will have a good year as well and that we’ll get to catch up via email, calls and in person to have long rambling chats about our identities, dreams, goals.