A woman has shared the difficult reality of moving abroad and how the move has left her ’emotionally exhausted’ every single day.
Julia Wheeler, from Canada, moved to Milan several months ago and has been struggling with her new pace of life.
She revealed that she was basically living a ‘double life’ and that half her life was ‘on pause’.
‘You obviously feel super blessed and grateful to be living the life you have in this new place,’ Julia said. ‘But you also feel so guilty for the ones that you’ve left behind.’
‘And you have so many things you’re missing back home that you’re not a part of anymore.’
A woman has shared the difficult reality of moving abroad and how the move has left her ’emotionally exhausted’ every single day
Julia went on to explain the strange double standard.
‘You should be 110 per cent grateful for the life that you have here in this wonderful new place that you’ve chosen for yourself – but you don’t feel like you really fit in because you haven’t grown up here.’
She’s had problems fitting in with the different culture and language barriers.
‘You constantly get the reminder that you’re not from here … whereas at home it’s easy, it’s comfortable, it’s what you’ve always known.
‘But even the thought of going back home is never going feel the same after having lived in a different place as it’s very confusing.’
Thousands agreed with Julia’s dilemma.
‘English is not my first language and even though I can speak well and I understand, I don’t feel like I’m showing my real personality and it’s frustrating,’ a woman said.
‘This made me cry – it’s exhausting but I feel so grateful at the same time,’ another wrote.
But others did not relate to Julia’s experience.
‘I’ve never felt guilty about moving abroad. I just somehow knew it was the best thing for me and after seven years I still think like that,’ a man wrote.
‘Living abroad worked out better for me. I’m a better and happier person than I was when I left a decade ago,’ another added.