The 9th Anniversary

As the sun sets, it will be nine years since I left my birthplace. While it seems a long time ago, it is not that long either. I do not have a clear memory of all those days that flew by so fast. All the details are somehow fuzzy. So much has happened and so much has changed. The stress of those early days has long gone and replaced by other types of uncertainties. I guess that is the nature of life. No one knows about the future and what will happen eventually. At least I think I am in peace with myself (most of the time). I consider this as a blessing since I have never been easy on myself- like most of the people I know. At least I like where I am and I love the fact that I am surrounded by so many wonderful people.

I used to dislike immigration, all aspects of it; the strange feeling of homesickness, being away from people I love, and the pain of being a foreigner in a strange land. By the time I got used to my adapted country, adjusted to new environment, and found new friends, I realized that I no longer belong to any place. That is what immigration does to you. Sometimes you have to compromise to adapt. If my non-Iranian friends are talking about their favourite childhood cartoons, I have to sit back and listen. On the other hand, when I am among my newly arrived Iranian friends, I am puzzled by what Barbardeh is. But should this be an issue? Does it really matter that I believe it is not accurate to write down a name of a city as my hometown on Facebook? As Nazy says I like to think “I am a citizen of this planet”. Why should geographical boundaries matter so much?

I have been exposed to so many different cultures. I have experienced some of them in depth. I am happy to see myself as someone who has the ability to communicate and interact with different people independent of their ethnic backgrounds and their nationalities. When I see someone, I see a person. I do not see their skin/hair colour, etc.