All people are different and behave differently in a critical situations. I changed my entire life for the man I love. I left everything I had in my life to move to a completely different environment. So what have happened in these 3 years? Have I got acclimated? Am I happy? Do I still miss something in my life? Or is it still like a waiting zone in the airport?
Adjustment to the new culture definitely takes time. As much as I embrace some American habits that I find convenient, I can never become one completely. I judge the different behaviors through my cultural background. I try to take the best of the two worlds. The helpful point is that my husband is also a foreigner here; so sometimes we can have some laughs on how all 3 cultures are different in some basic stuff.
I went through a transition: from an individual in my home country, to wife of that guy straight after my arrival, and now back to an individual myself with my own personality. I am blessed, I had the experience to just enjoy the marriage and simply be a wife for some time, while waiting for the documents to start my own path once again. And I am thankful that that period gave me an understanding that probably I am not the housewife type.
Oh man, it is hard to start a job search from zero in a new country. You feel a lot of frustration, as some basic things are different between countries. I believe you can succeed only if you have a strong support as I had. It is always important to have people believing in you and supporting with everything you start. Numerous failed interviews, entry level job positions, judgmental opinions on your background- all of that was a challenge. Not to mention that I had to learn a new business terminology in a different language.
Going back to school wasn’t my preferred option. The day I graduated in Russia was one of the happiest day in my life. At least, at that moment I thought so. But every time I speak with foreigners here, studying is (unfortunately) the most expensive and the shortest way to get back in the game. As well as opening new horizons, it puts you in a new environment: a foreign educational system possibly with the gift of new friends.
I am looking at these 3 years and the relevant achievements, and, honestly, I am proud of myself. It is not like I succeeded in everything, but still I learned a lot going through this maze of life. The greatest achievement every expat can be proud of is complete independence. We don't have anybody here, no family, no long-time friends. So the only people we can rely on is just the two of us. If you don't do it, nobody will. So I want to give a round of applause to all expats out there. We know how hard being an expat wife can be sometimes. And all of this just for the good old fashioned Love.
Adjustment to the new culture definitely takes time. As much as I embrace some American habits that I find convenient, I can never become one completely. I judge the different behaviors through my cultural background. I try to take the best of the two worlds. The helpful point is that my husband is also a foreigner here; so sometimes we can have some laughs on how all 3 cultures are different in some basic stuff.
I went through a transition: from an individual in my home country, to wife of that guy straight after my arrival, and now back to an individual myself with my own personality. I am blessed, I had the experience to just enjoy the marriage and simply be a wife for some time, while waiting for the documents to start my own path once again. And I am thankful that that period gave me an understanding that probably I am not the housewife type.
Oh man, it is hard to start a job search from zero in a new country. You feel a lot of frustration, as some basic things are different between countries. I believe you can succeed only if you have a strong support as I had. It is always important to have people believing in you and supporting with everything you start. Numerous failed interviews, entry level job positions, judgmental opinions on your background- all of that was a challenge. Not to mention that I had to learn a new business terminology in a different language.
Going back to school wasn’t my preferred option. The day I graduated in Russia was one of the happiest day in my life. At least, at that moment I thought so. But every time I speak with foreigners here, studying is (unfortunately) the most expensive and the shortest way to get back in the game. As well as opening new horizons, it puts you in a new environment: a foreign educational system possibly with the gift of new friends.
I am looking at these 3 years and the relevant achievements, and, honestly, I am proud of myself. It is not like I succeeded in everything, but still I learned a lot going through this maze of life. The greatest achievement every expat can be proud of is complete independence. We don't have anybody here, no family, no long-time friends. So the only people we can rely on is just the two of us. If you don't do it, nobody will. So I want to give a round of applause to all expats out there. We know how hard being an expat wife can be sometimes. And all of this just for the good old fashioned Love.