Life in the States is busy. But the life of a student is even busier, and not so easy, particularly for those students, and it is a high number of us, who do not keep an organized schedule, and especially do not eat well and ignore their health. As a result, life gets difficult and stressful, but it can be worse, if there are no family and friends around.
I tell you, when I first came to the States, at least during the first months, all I thought about was when do I return to my family. My culture does not encourage family members to stay away from their family roots for very long. In the States, however, that is not the case. Children may leave the family at an early age and travel around the country until they find their own place to settle in, at least for awhile. I do admire that way of life at times because the youth get to experience the world on their own. But at the same time I do not think that such a move is the answer to one’s meaning of life, as some may think.
It all depends on the circumstances, of course, and yes, I understand people want their freedom to live a happy life, but to me, as someone who has lived both Eastern and Western culture, freedom is meaningless if I live a disconnected life from my family. In fact, my freedom and happiness come as a result of my closeness to my family and each other’s support. And it is my family that makes me who I am and gives meaning to my life.
I agree Flamur! The difficult part for me is trying to balance being with people I love and the fact that they live in places that I’m not always so fond of. This is not necessarily their fault, but more as a result of greater cultural and societal phenomena, I think. Fortunately for my family and I here (I mean, not our families of origin), we have friends and a sense of community with some of of those friends who are almost like family. Telephony, email, chat, and videocall options and even writing letters or postcards from time to time make some of that long-distance communication easier. Still, it doesn’t compare to living near and with family, which I think is a sorely undervalued and even spurned idea in this country and much of the West.
In any case, eat well and remember your health and well-being!
(Note to self also: keep a more organized schedule!)
Thanks Aaron! The communication part you refer to is very important but not many pay attention to it very much. I usually Skype with family so it helps a lot.
Hope all is well with you.