Friday 29 November 2013
1)
Early excitement
At this stage, you are very
excited about a lot of things. That’s normal. You are new to this country, so
you try to imagine all the amazing possibilities that can happen to you in this
new place. You think about the new friends you will make, the new places you will visit, and the different type of freedom you will experience in this country. For those of
you who moved from a tropical country, you might be excited about winter
and/or the snow. (I must admit I was at the beginning!) Then come winter, you'll be disappointed to find out that the snow melts so fast because of rain.
2)
Shock and longing
At this stage, you realize that moving from
one place to another is not that easy, especially if this is your first time
doing so. After being excited for the first few weeks, you now feel
overwhelmed. You now know that your life here will never be the same as your
life in your motherland. You realize that it will take a lot of time before you
build friendships as meaningful as the ones you have made in your home country.
You start to miss your best friends and relatives back “home”. Feeling like you
can’t cope up with the changes that are fazing you, you constantly debate with yourself trying to figure out whether
moving here is the right choice or not. Tears may or may not be part of this
stage.
3)
Gradual adaptation
After being overwhelmed with your new
surroundings, you now realize that there’s no better person to help you with
your adjustment but yourself. You now start making friends with people who
understand you and whom you understand. You slowly let go of your fears. You
begin trying out new things, becoming involved in your community, and exploring
the city you’re in.
4)
Optimism and renewed excitement
After letting your guard down, excitement
starts to fill your mind and heart again. You are once again excited about the
numerous opportunities that this country offers. You start discovering your potential, which empowers you to remain involved in your school or community.
You now regularly hang out with your newfound friends, and you enjoy their
company a lot. Waking up for school is now less dreadful than it was during the first month of school. Now, you look forward to living a new exciting life
in this country—as a student and as a youth.
5)
Continuous swim between the currents of two (or
more) cultures
You are now well adjusted to your life in
this country, but that does not mean that there will not be times when you will
suddenly miss your motherland again. Every now and then, you think
about what your life could have turned out to be if you did not emigrate your
home country at all. You will constantly ask yourself where your true “home”
is. Oftentimes, there will be no clear answer. That is okay, because here’s the
truth: the country that you left, and the country that you are now in are, in
one way or another, both your homes now. Do not worry about being confused as
to where your true loyalty lies. Even though you now are having a blast in this
country, you will still long for some memories that you created in your native
country. You can never entirely abandon your love for either country. So
there’s no point debating where your true home is. Just remind yourself of how
blessed you are to have two places that you can call home--not everyone is
given that chance.
- Sean
- Sean
