Arriving in Tunisia – Wide Awake, Week One
In this personal experience report, I describe my first week after arriving in Tunisia – between sleeplessness, overwhelm, self-soothing, and cautious trust in my own body. This text is not medical or psychological advice but an honest snapshot of a transitional phase.
Sometimes the only way to get all the chaos out of my head is to write it down.
It’s early Saturday morning and I still can’t sleep. After a week with almost no proper rest, I’m emotionally a bit worn out – not because everything is going badly. It’s at the same time frightening and strangely wonderful. I hear the surf and the howling of stray animals. I’m in a faraway, exciting place, and I am the brave traveler who chose this.
I want to be here and I want to be independent. I want to manage everything alone – and yet right now, I accept help like a little girl. This is not the strong, independent woman I imagine myself to be.
But another part of me says: It’s completely okay to need help at the beginning. I will learn. Soon I will manage completely on my own. A rocky start is normal. I’m just starting to get to know my new home.
From my Swiss perspective, this country and its rhythm seem wild. I’m not stupid; I know things just work differently here. Goodbye, e-banking and one-click shopping. Never mind. I will adapt. (Little Borg drone reporting for assimilation.)
I will give everything to live here the life I have always dreamed of – a good, fulfilling, meaningful life. I will do things I love, with people who love me. I will get exactly that, because I deserve it. I’ve endured enough hardship for a lifetime.
And I know that I am becoming the person I want to be.
All my ‘monsters’ are actually princesses waiting for me to see myself as beautiful and brave – at least once.
Arriving in Tunisia – between chaos and confidence
The waiting is over. I am on my way.
Insomnia in the first week – my personal assessment
A note on insomnia (and why I don’t panic)
Insomnia in the first week after a major move is normal and not a crisis. My body and brain are just getting used to:
- A new routine and environment (light, sounds, temperature, bed, unfamiliar safety features).
- Stress hormones that are still high due to the travel and change (hello, cortisol and adrenaline).
- Different meal times, caffeine patterns, and daily activities.
- A brain thinking: ‘Stay alert until we understand this place.’
What I do: calm days, morning sunlight, plenty of water, short naps early in the day if needed, no screens late at night, writing things down (like this), and accepting help. If it takes a while, that’s normal. Sleep is a reflex, not a test I have to pass. It will come – my body can’t keep me awake forever.
For now, the sea keeps breathing, the dogs keep singing, and I keep learning how I belong.
- The text describes my personal first week after arriving in Tunisia.
- The focus is on transition, insomnia, and emotional adjustment.
- This is not about medical or psychological advice.
- The post reflects self-soothing, trusting the body, and patience.
- The text is a subjective snapshot of an early phase of arrival.
