People in my life just assume that because I have been here for a while that I want to settle down here. I think it is one of the hurdles as an international student that you have to face. Let me explain:
On average you will have spent about 4 years in this country. You become attached! It becomes your base and you have all this network of friends!! Further, like it all not, you have created a gap in your own country. Many people have become used to not having you around and thus the group you used to hang out with has moved on. They miss you, but you are not always there for them. So, when you go back there, there is this challenge of re-establishing yourself once again. Of getting back into the system where things have changed because life moves on.
Some people therefore become tempted to just stay on here. I think rarely does an international student come here with the goal of living here forever. However by the end of four years, it is seriously just a second home. If you love it enough some decide it is worth just settling here and go home only for visits. This country does offer various opportunities which, I think for most can be tempting and worth the shift.
For others, they hate it. I am not naïve in thinking that others don’t hate their whole experience here. They just can’t wait to finish their university and go home. The main reason they came here is the undeniable fact that the standard of education is quite high. But they want to go home and face whatever challenges their absence might have caused. They have the knowledge this country offers but the whole idea of a life here is just impossible.
I think am the person in between. I love it here. It has become home for now. I like the education and all that the country offers. And I have been away from my country for long to really understand that life there does not stop when you leave. People go on and things become different. I think even I have changed. Definitely living away from home does change your perspectives on life, or even your goals. The easy way of this would be to settle here and try and find a good job. I think I would be happy here honestly, I really do love it.
But the person who said east or west home is best was right. As much as I love it, for me going home is what I want. I have changed, yes, my country has, yes, but I am willing to spend some time adapting once again. This country is very developed and I come from still developing country. I really think there is more that I can offer in my country than in this country. The knowledge I gain here will be handy though…lol..
So yeah, you can see, there is room for everyone…the lovers, the haters and the stuck in the middle ones…..I read somewhere that lawyers like to rationalise things and put everything into a its own compartment…I hope am not being completely lawyer-like if I say, each one of you would fit in at least one of these compartments….lol…
Hope you all had a great great Easter!!!
Oh, and yeah, one more thing you may or may not know about me. People assume I have it figured and that I know exactly where am heading and what I want to do with my life. And from this blog, you would too…but… I don’t!!! I know for sure what I don’t want to be or do- a solicitor or barrister or settle here. However, apart from that I don’t know. I do know what I like doing but I don’t know the kind of job that offers that. Nevertheless, I am very optimistic about my future; I just don’t know what I will be doing in it.
xoxo
Ruth
