Living abroad

Loneliness: invariably moving abroad will bring along periods of extreme loneliness which can be very paralyzing in any effort to make new friends and adjust to life in the new country. It can be difficult to find others who will sympathize and it is common to feel misunderstood (or not understood at all).

• Loneliness: invariably moving abroad will bring along periods of extreme loneliness which can be very paralyzing in any effort to make new friends and adjust to life in the new country. It can be difficult to find others who will sympathize and it is common to feel misunderstood (or not understood at all).
• Acceptance: when I first moved to the US, we lived in small town which had never seen a foreign student before. I was eager to meet and socialize with people who had a similar international background, but I learned quickly that I was the only one of its kind. The feeling of not belonging was very difficult, especially as a teenager desperate to fit in.
• Starting Over: the concept of packing up and making a new place feel like home can be very isolating and tiring. And this issue can be two-sided as I learned later in life. My mother had a friend who quite openly told her that she would never befriend another person who is likely to move away. The time and effort invested in this friendship was obviously not worth the sacrifice for someone who is not used to starting over. Sometimes, I still wonder how widespread this feeling is.