5 Truths I accepted as an Immigrant

Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash

Ah, immigration! Moving from one country to another seeking prosperity, opportunities, and an ability to be heard. Sailing away to a new harbor. That’s how we start to get ourselves into the idea that changing places will give us absolutely different outcomes to live a better life.

However, nobody should confuse tourism with immigration and there are certain points that people you will understand after living long enough in a different country.

Let’s discuss those. Keep in mind that those points are subjective to my experience and you are free to discuss those with me. I would be curious to know what do you think about it and how it correlates to your experience.

Native Language

My mother tongue is Russian. My secondary language is English. I’ve been studying English since I was a kid. I’m able to read, write and communicate in English without any issues (apart from my accent). I even think in English most of the time, it’s a natural part of me.

However, English would never feel the same way to me as Russian. Never. Why? Because the mother tongue sounds natural, it feels like the language you communicate effortlessly. You understand every single meaning of the word, you can understand the content of the word really well, and most importantly — for some reason, it…