Crossing Borders
Leaving your loved ones and moving abroad is never easy. Whether you’re moving for your education, your new job, or a mere life change, it’s tough to move out of your comfort zone and start anew. If you’re someone who has taken that step, give yourself a little pat on your shoulder. A new beginning, a new city, always feels scary. The air feels different, the climate gives the chills, and there are a lot of FaceTimes with family and friends during this new phase.
Selena Gomez for Dazed Digital
The nostalgia hits like a bittersweet melody, reminding you of the faces left behind, the streets you have walked on countless times, the favorite local food you usually have with your friends, and the memories attached in the corners of your heart. But amidst the experience of separation, there's a thrill to embark on a new journey. A new city brings out a newer version of you. You do things which you have never done before. Every new street corner, every quaint café, every bustling market is a canvas waiting to be painted. The new language you learn, the new habits you pick up, and the new food you start to cook, it all seems a bliss after a while. As someone who has recently moved to Milan from India, every day seems like an adventure to me. From having to buy groceries to managing my work and studies, it's a juggle. Not to mention, the constant habit of converting Euros into INR every time I make any purchase. As an international student abroad, there are a fair share of pros and cons. Homesickness, separation anxiety, language barriers, cultural changes, daunting visa procedures, and so on. Everything feels overwhelming, but there are days when you realize you might be living some of your best days and slowly the problems fade away. You start getting used to the city, you gradually learn the bus stops and turns to the streets of your locality. You make new friends, you start meeting new people. You find your favorite café around the corner and a job which you really wanted. Everything eventually falls into place, and you find a home away from home. Yet, amidst the excitement, there are moments of solitude, moments when the weight of being in a foreign land settles like a heavy cloak upon my shoulders. In those quiet moments, I listen to my favorite music, which reassures me that I'm never truly alone. If you’re someone who has recently moved abroad, I would like to say just one thing - It will get better. Trust me, as the sun sets on another day in your new chapter, be filled with gratitude - for the courage that has led you to take this bold step, for the friends yet to be made, for the stories waiting to unfold. After all, life’s a movie, and you're the main character in your story. So go out there, live a little more, and worry a little less!
