My Journey Moving Countries at a Young Age

Moving countries seems like a daunting, Herculean task, and it sometimes is! But that shouldn't hold you back from exploring and widening your horizons. People shift countries for so many reasons, whether it’s immigrating overseas with their families at a young age or moving abroad to work or study, and it is always a big change.

I decided to make the big move at the tender age of 22 - so young, I know. But all jokes aside, when I shifted to Newcastle after being in India my whole life, I felt like a complete baby and a lot like a fish out of the water. 

I’ve had the experience of living in different cities in India during university and for work, but shifting across the ocean to another continent? It filled me with dread and anticipation at the same time. Before I was due to shift here, I was both anxious and excited for the new chapter of my life to start. My excitement was dampened by the realisation that I would be shifting thousands of miles away from all my loved ones, but it made me reach another, more valuable realisation. 

I was starting a new part of my life; a whole new season in my life story’s Netflix show. There would be new characters, new plot points, new twists and challenges. So why not enjoy it? Do I cry a lot from being constantly homesick? Of course I do! Is the food weird to me? Yeah it is! But at the same time, every day is a new opportunity. 

I’m well aware of how cheesy that sounds, but it’s true! Whether that opportunity is to explore a new city, to spend time with my newfound friends, to focus on work, or even just to take a break and do nothing all day, it’s an active choice I’m making. By making this shift, I was able to immerse myself in another culture, in another country, with a host of new things to try that I may have never done before. 

But that’s not to say that it hasn’t been tough. On some days, there is nothing I would like more than to simply fly back home and stay there. I do miss things that are just typically found back home, no matter how weird. Sometimes, navigating a new city, new people, new traditions and new situations can all make a dizzying cocktail that overwhelms me, but I just need to remind myself to take a deep breath. My home is still going to be waiting for me when I go back, and until I do, I can make a new home for myself here. Weird things and all.