Diversity of the United States
This is it. A two year journey came to its end. Fear, happy moments, excitement, new adventures, travels, culture shock, depression, loneliness, people go through a full range of emotions when living in a foreign country. But they get used to it. Research on culture shock is very well described, but everyone has his/her own schedule of the phases that he/she goes through. When I left for the States, everyone started asking me how to get there. No one cared what it really is to live away from your home.
This is it. A two year journey came to its end. Fear, happy moments, excitement, new adventures, travels, culture shock, depression, loneliness, people go through a full range of emotions when living in a foreign country. But they get used to it. Research on culture shock is very well described, but everyone has his/her own schedule of the phases that he/she goes through. When I left for the States, everyone started asking me how to get there. No one cared what it really is to live away from your home.
I know many people who dream to live in the States, but they do not have the simplest idea what they want to do there. When I start asking simple questions, like “Why do you want to go there?”, they stumble and cannot give an answer. The grass is always greener on the neighbor’s lawn. People assume that the States is the best place in the world. This country provides very good services and the government cares of its people. It has the latest technology, great sales on black Friday, best schools, and a lot of plasmas on Times Square. But these people forget that they are strangers in a foreign country. They also forget that like any other country, the US has unemployment and poverty. Foreigners have a “better chance” to get into these categories.
I was lucky because I was fully sponsored by my government, unlike some of my friends who had to struggle to earn money for accommodation and food. My concerns were around finding a place to live, adjusting to the new environment, and getting used to the new mentality. Though I was blessed with many friends from all over the world and school overload, I have to confess that I experienced loneliness and depression sometimes. All in all, my time in the US was amazing. People tend to remember only good things. Likewise, when one moves to another country, he/she remembers only good things about his/her country. Vice versa, when one comes back to his/her home country, he/she starts missing the best moments of life abroad. This is a reverse culture shock. I became a foreigner in my home country. Odd man out. I am a stranger here. It seems that I had everything when I was in the US but lost everything in a second.
As a friend of mine said, one should not say this is bad or good. Every country has its good and bad things. All countries are different. One should adjust to the situation and enjoy the good things. I will definitely try to do that, though I am terribly missing the US and my international friends. 
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