Dear Balkan resident, there is a journey before you that will not always be easy, but don’t let that discourage you. When you decide to cross the borders of your homeland and venture into the unknown, you will face your own fears, challenges, but also beautiful new experiences. You must be prepared for the fact that the world around you, and the one inside you, will change, and how to deal with that – I will write about it on this blog.
When you decide to move to another country and set anchor, you need to be aware that many friendships and family ties will tear at the seams – some irreversibly. You need to be prepared for the fact that during the adaptation phase you won't feel a sense of belonging in your new environment, and likewise in the old environment because your departure will create a socio-cultural vacuum in the old environment. Some people from your immediate or distant surroundings will take it a step further and will not forgive you for leaving. Never. In Germany, you will feel like a foreigner, an “Auslender,” and back home, you'll be referred to as “Švabo”. Interesting and sad at the same time.
I remember very well one conversation on this topic with a neighbor, which then escalated into a fierce discussion in which he called me a traitor who left his people in hard times, and that same evening he scratched my car. That conversation lingered in my mind for a while, I questioned my beliefs and principles – I thought about it much more than about the scratched car – because I am essentially well insured. ???? Speaking of which, being well insured is extremely important in Germany – it cost me a lot of money before I learned what insurance is essential and what is just a waste of money. Read about that in the article xy (insert link to the article about Finance and Insurance) because it's an important thing that can save you in many cases. But that's enough about insurance for now.
Furthermore, you can be sure that you will ask yourself the question: “Man, who am I, what is my identity?” Many will experience identity crises which are – without much sugar-coating and wrapping in decorative cellophane – very hard. But you will find a remedy for them on this blog. I will describe how I identified them, accepted, and left them behind locked in one of the many drawers in my head.
I write this blog for all our people who are thinking about going abroad and who are in the process of leaving. Also for you who came and are fighting in the beginning against everyone, but also for all the people who have been abroad for a long time, and still feel that they haven’t fully integrated and are troubled by the feeling of not belonging. Even if you have completely integrated, I'm sure you will identify with many parts of this blog. In every change, in every transition, in every departure, there is light and darkness. The journey into the unknown will not be easy, but don’t let that discourage you. Let challenges not discourage you, but serve as a stimulus for growth and development. Remember, where your comfort zone ends, life begins. All you need is the courage to take the first step. And when you take that first step, I will be here, through these pages, to help you find the way. Because you are not alone in this, and this story I write, I write for you. For you who decided to take a risk, to plant roots in new places, and to venture into the unknown. Yes, there will be challenges, but together, we can overcome everything. Welcome to this journey. With my experience and your bravery, I am sure we will succeed.”
