Probably, everyone at least once in their life has had the question of changing their place of residence. It could be a neighboring city, or a completely different country that is new to you. So I was faced with such a situation, but then I was only 13. In this article I want to share with you my fears that haunted me for a long period due to moving. I want to share with you the difficulties that I had to face. Perhaps this article will help you a little and help you prepare for your upcoming move.
How it all started
It all started in 2010, when, unfortunately, my mother passed away. Then I could not even imagine that this tragic event would lead to big changes in my life. Since I was a minor, I needed a guardian, which is what my grandmother became. And everything would be fine, but she lived in an other country. In Armenia. Naturally, this is a completely different mentality, a different language, different traditions, in a word, something for which I was not ready.
I’m leaving my hometown, where I lived for more than 10 years with the hope of returning. My friends remain here, my dreams remain, and my dear dad remains. But I am not destined to return. Am I worried about this now? No. Absolutely not.
Even though I faced many problems and misunderstandings, I do not at all regret that my fate turned out this way.
Problems I encountered when moving
The biggest problem for me was not knowing the language. All my life I spoke Russian, communicated in Russian, and when I immediately found myself in an environment in which they spoke a language absolutely incomprehensible to me. This alienated me very much from society.
I didn’t know a word of Armenian, so I had no friends, and I was constantly afraid to go out. I was afraid that someone might tell me something and I wouldn’t understand. Due to the sudden change of country, I was rejected; I was against learning the Armenian language, despite all the efforts of my grandmother.
Not knowing the language made me an absolute introvert, even though Armenia is a post-Soviet country and most of the older generations here knew Russian. However, in a school of 30 people, only two knew Russian. These two communicated with me. A little ahead of the curve, one of my classmates is still my good friend.
It’s not for nothing that they say that language is very important. I couldn’t attend any events. Six months at school were useless, I didn’t understand anything. Naturally, this is a different country, and this is a completely different program and different subjects.
I incredibly missed my home, my dad, but as you have over time began to understand that this could not continue. Started going outside, but this also became a problem. I constantly noticed other people’s gazes on me, because my appearance was different from typical Armenians. Saw how they whispered while looking at me; at school, many teased me precisely because of my nationality. Then I realized that I needed knowledge of the language and, with the help of my grandmother, I began to learn it little by little. And this helped me overcome many difficulties in the future.
Positive aspects of moving
Two years later, when I went to Russia again, I realized that I would return to Armenia. “Why?” you ask me. In addition to the problems that I faced, I also encountered the positive aspects of my move.
People. The people here are really very good. When you begin to understand them, when you respect their culture, their traditions, their mentality, they also treat you kindly. My relatives who lived here tried to support me, this really helped me adapt. And I accidentally compared people in Russia, compared their thinking, their actions. That’s when I realized that Armenia is closer to me.
As soon as I internally accepted the fact that I was staying here, it became much easier for me. I slowly began to make friends with whom I went to college. I began to develop my interests, for example studying at a music school. There, despite my poor Armenian, they helped me a lot. And here’s another huge plus – they instill a love of music here.
After some time, I met a man with whom I built my life, built a family. More than 10 years have passed since the move, and it was here that I was able to get an education, was able to make true friends, was able to get married, and now we have a wonderful son growing up.
Tips for those who are moving to another country
The first and most important piece of advice is, of course, to start learning the language. This will give you a great advantage in finding a job, in training, and everyday life.
Try to find out in advance the mentality of the people with whom you are going to live. If you respect their traditions, they will respect you.
Be patient, you will not always meet people on your way who will lend you a helping hand. But don’t judge by one person. There will be someone who will help you. You will definitely make friends, have hobbies and you will not feel lonely as in the first days.
Do not be afraid. If you choose a new country to live, does something prompt you to do so? So think about it, what is the goal? If you can answer clearly, then you will have no fears.
Conclusion
Moving is always scary, it’s a new world, giving up the old. 1,000,000 Fears appear that nothing will work out here, but this is not so. The proverb is very suitable here: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This is absolutely accurate. Fear is our biggest enemy. You need to learn to understand people, and then people will understand you.