I did not realize I had truly left home until one quiet evening when I had no one to call and nowhere familiar to go. Living in a foreign country teaches you lessons that no book or guide can prepare you for. It teaches you patience, humility, and strength—often all at once.
In the beginning, everything felt temporary. The room I lived in, the job I worked, even the people I met. I told myself I was just “adjusting.” But slowly, the unfamiliar started becoming routine. Streets began to feel less confusing. Faces became recognizable. Silence became something I learned to sit with.
Being away from home is not always dramatic. Sometimes it is subtle—a festival that passes quietly, food that never tastes quite the same, or conversations where you carefully choose words so your accent doesn’t become the focus. These moments build an invisible weight that only those living abroad truly understand.
At the same time, living abroad gives you something powerful: independence. You learn to rely on yourself in ways you never had to before. You grow confident navigating challenges alone. You discover resilience you didn’t know existed.
Today, I live between two worlds. One where I came from, and one I am still building. And while I miss home deeply, I have learned that being away does not mean being lost.
Sometimes, it simply means you are becoming someone new.
