5 Ways OCONUS is Like A TV Show

In the fall of 2014 my husband and I made our first OCONUS move. Around that time we started watching the popular Netflix series Orange is the New Black. And before you could say “parole” the similarities between OCONUS and the TV show were evident. 1. Culture Shock Piper Chapman struggles in her early days in prison. She doesn’t understand the hierarchy, terminology or culture. She pisses off the cook and goes without food. Our OCONUS move to the Middle East provided its own culture shock. Though I didn’t go without food, it felt like we had been plunked down on the ends of the earth. Everything was yellow and dusty. I couldn’t figure out the monetary system. Driving was a nightmare. And thanks to some nasty jetlag I went without sleep for the first week. photo credit: flickr - horizon 2. The Characters Crazy eyes. Red. Taystee. Litchfield Penitentiary is filled with characters. And so is life overseas. Everyone where I live has a “guy.” An upholstery guy. A rug guy. A car guy. Friendly characters that offer good prices and build relationships with the Americans here. The first time someone came and took our car to repair it he arrived under cover of darkness. I don’t believe he even knew my name. There was no paperwork. No exchange of information. Just a handshake and a key. I was nervous that we’d never see the car again. But we did, and now we have a car guy. photo credit: flickr - jorge gonzalez 3. It’s All About Your Length of Time Throughout Orange is the New Black, characters ask each other how long they have left on their sentence. The audience watches the hellos and goodbyes as new inmates enter prison, are released and sometimes return again. Time is a big factor in life overseas. When meeting new people the question is not “what do you do?” but “when did you get here?” The cold hard (or in this case hot and humid) truth is that no one is eager for a new best friend who is leaving next week. How long you’ve been here gives a sense of how much you know about the area and how much time you have left for building relationships and experiences. photo credit: flickr - ross bertieg 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. photo credit: flickr - andrea williams 5. Community Abounds In Litchfield Penitentiary, Piper Chapman becomes part of a community of women. She confides in her fellow inmates, grows close to them and realizes they aren’t as different as she once thought. Other characters, like Red, string together groups of women that they refer to as family. It’s not so different here in the Middle East. Having left most of our families and friends on the other side of the world, those of us stationed here are eager to create community. And in a place that can be challenging to adjust to (see above) community is a must. Acquaintances become friends and friends become family faster under these circumstances. Our tight knit local community provides information and support. Life overseas, of course, is not prison. It’s a unique opportunity to explore another culture, to travel and make close friends. It’s a lot a way to learn to live without Target and Chipotle. But most of all it’s an instant community of characters sharing the same situation, not unlike those on our favorite TV shows . Read Next: Year 1 - New Wife and New Mom photo credit: flickr - connie ma Connect with us on Facebook!

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5 Ways OCONUS is Like A TV Show

photo credit: flickr – jorge gonzalez

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