Life in circles: Are we moving forward or just going around?

Over the past three columns, I’ve explored what it means to arrive in a new world and build a life overseas. One thing I’ve learned is that changing countries doesn’t necessarily change the patterns of life. Problems, routines, and everyday dramas follow us wherever we go – apparently, they don’t need a visa!

Of course, moving abroad can change us profoundly, but the real transformation begins within. By embracing the unfamiliar, we discover new perspectives, learn a little more about ourselves, and sometimes realise that the greatest journey isn’t about where we go, but who we become.

And just when we think we’ve figured it all out, life brings us back down to earth.

Nothing is quite so important that we cannot learn to take ourselves a little less seriously, laugh at ourselves, and enjoy the ride. Because, whether we like it or not, sooner or later, we all have to pay the toll.

You may think you know exactly where you are going, only to find yourself going around in circles – and sometimes, the person you were so desperate to get ahead of is right there beside you again.

Perhaps that is life’s little joke: we spend so much time trying to get ahead, only to discover that sometimes we are all just going around together.

Perhaps that is the real lesson of the roundabout.

It reminds us to reflect, stay in touch with our inner circles, and remember that going around in circles does not necessarily mean we are getting nowhere.

Unlike corners, circles do not trap us between two choices. They offer different angles, different possibilities, and, eventually, another chance to choose which way we want to go. And perhaps that is what life is really about.

Not always knowing exactly where we are going, but being willing to take another turn, look at things from a different angle, and keep moving forward.

After all, life is full of exits, wrong turns, unexpected detours, and the occasional person who seems determined to overtake you. Sometimes you get where you are going. Sometimes you go around again.

And sometimes, after all that effort, you discover you were already exactly where you needed to be.

So relax. Enjoy the scenery.

And, if all else fails, stay in the right lane.

This column has been occasionally and lovingly edited with a little help from AI.