‘How much money are you making? You are going to be the next millionaire, aren’t you?’
‘You are enjoying your freedom away from the hell we are living in… Lucky you!’
‘Every single thing is provided to you; you just need to say the word!’
From the day I left Lebanon last September, I’ve kept receiving similar answers every time I expressed my opinion regarding anything happening in my country. Unfortunately, the Lebanese people have an erroneous idea about what immigrants go through when being forced to leave their home, friends and family behind, and embark on a mysterious journey in a strange country that they might be visiting for the first time. Believe me all the myths you know about us making easy money, doing nothing all day and being always happy are untrue!
No one can count how many nights we stay awake sleepless because we are homesick. No one knows the feeling when seeing pictures of our families gathered around the Easter table or celebrating Al-Adha while we are miles away. No one would understand the immensity of the challenge of presenting a project or taking an exam or working when knowing that someone is sick back home…
Immigration is and will never be an easy decision to be made. It requires courage and lots of sacrifices. Therefore, if you do have a friend and / or a family member living abroad, try to show them from time to time that you miss them and to express how much you love them. Despite being little, such gestures would mean the world to them and make them feel a bit… at home!