10 Years Ago I Moved Overseas & I’d Do It Again
Adapting to change at a young age.
I moved to Lebanon on July 13, 2008. I still remember the warm tears that were shed as I said my goodbyes, while I tried to hide the tingling excitement inside me. Moving abroad gave me butterflies in my gut… An overwhelming wave of anxiety and adrenaline for the unknown ahead.
Change isn’t easy. When my father decided to move our family to the Middle East in Summer 2008, my mother didn’t like it much. Change was hard on me, but even harder on her. By 2010 they were divorced.
Change is inevitable either way. I had just graduated from a private middle school in Silicon Valley, California. With eighth grade coming to an end, my friends and I understood we’d have to enroll as freshman students in new high schools. Except they were still in California, and I was halfway across the world.
High School Years
When my glorious summer vacation of Lebanese beaches and mountain ranges ended, there was no hopping on a flight back home like we regularly did. That’s when reality struck: we had actually moved.
At high school, people were not as welcoming as I’d anticipated. For some reason, me being an American was intimidating. Maybe they thought I was a spoiled brat from the USA. The kind who has her father’s bank accounts at her disposal. I was far from that.
- Lesson Learned: Wherever you go and whatever you do just remember that people may have a tendency to make assumptions, and be judgmental.
- Advice: Pay no attention to what people think of you.
A big help to my transition was that I met some foreign students, like me, who understood the trauma of culture shock and of shifting your entire life to a new country. These friends took me around the city and showed me that life in my new country was a lot more fun than I expected, even more than my life in California. Luckily, by the end of the first school year, the rest of my classmates admitted that their perception of me had changed 180 degrees.
- Lesson Learned: You can make unexpected new friends even when you least expect it.
- Advice: Be true to who you are, that’s all you have to do.
Attending University
There was no lack of expats on my campus, whether it was students or professors. However, like any student, I wished I was more prepared for the independent nature required at this stage in my life.
With my mother back in the States, and my father busy at work, I was actually on my own for the first time. Okay, it wasn’t as bad as when your parents left you on your first day of 1st grade, but it did have a ‘rip-off-the-bandage’ feel to it.
- Lesson Learned: Although it could feel a little embarrassing, there’s no shame in asking for help around your new campus.
- Advice: Don’t be afraid to seek counsel from an adviser (it’s their job), or ask for directions or instructions. However, you don’t need to ask your lecturer for permission to the toilet!
Final Thoughts…
I look back now, proudly.
10 years ago, my life was a chaotic mess.
I had to adapt to a new language, new people and customs, and a complicated educational system. Amidst it all, I also had to take on the role of the brave older sister when my parents left my siblings and I between relatives, as they settled with their dramatic divorce.
Despite all that, I’ve made unforgettable friends and memories along the way.
Seven years ago, I joined Fayha Choir with whom I’ve traveled to over a dozen different countries, sang on renowned stages, participated in international festivals, performed for private galas, and won many competitions. I also got the opportunity to sing with refugees in an attempt at psychological therapy.
I also met the love of my life, whom I was introduced back when I first moved to Lebanon. I’m not gonna lie, getting married is a whole new transition to experience. However, with all the changes I’ve adapted to, I now look forward to any exciting challenge that comes my way.
- Lesson Learned: Life is a roller-coaster and there can’t be good times without the bad ones.
- Advice: You can’t force things to be perfect, but you can accept what you can’t change to overcome your obstacles.
