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In 6 days I will move to New Zealand for my PhD. This is one of my life goals and I am really happy about it. I had a lot of time to think if it was the right choice (more than a year) and I am still convinced it is.
However, these last days feel so strange somehow. I suppose it is normal - even if you are super excited, there is a certain element of fear about moving 23,000 km and +12 hours away from home. A certain element of sadness.
I already had wonderful experience in my 5 months of Erasmus in Finland - I clearly remember being a bit scared at first (I was a young fellow back then) but when the time to return home arrived, I shed a tear as I left my apartment there. So it's probably going to be the same - I will come home twice a year, with a 3 year programme where I will probably have the opportunity to spend 6 or 12 months in the US. But you know, your mind runs all the time.
Have you ever moved far from home, TL? I would like to hear some stories.
Cheers
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I moved to the U.S. from Venezuela about twelve years ago. Since I was young, the transition was fairly smooth. However, I still do not feel like I fully belong here, despite my efforts to. Ironically, were I to move back to Venezuela, I would still feel like I do not belong there due to the tremendous cultural changes that the country has undergone since then, particularly due to the stressful political atmosphere. So I pretty much am a citizen of planet earth and most likely will remain so for the rest of my life. Do I resent this? Not a bit. There really are not that many drawbacks, except that the opposite sex will be interested in you only if they have eccentric tastes (women here appear to be inclined toward more "local" or "traditional" men around here). After all, YOLO. If you are happy with your decision, just go for it. It is like you are about to bungee jump but are too scared: at some point, you just say "fuck it" and dive. Let gravity do the rest (shitty analogy, I know). I also started my PhD recently. It has been one of the best decisions of my life, although the workload is taxing sometimes. Good luck!
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Russian Federation1016 Posts
SoSexy, good luck, first of all! NZ sounds awesome! I know PhD takes a lot of time, but don't forget to enjoy beautiful nature there. I really hope you know how to cook at least some simple dishes. That skill is essential when you are moving far from home.
I was 22 in 2011 and still lived with my parents (Russia). Then I moved to Germany for 2 year master program. My mom said afterwards smth like: "somehow the son I knew died in Germany, completely another person has returned back. If I knew it before I would never let you go!" + Show Spoiler +Do I even grammar in that quotation?!
So I pretty much am a citizen of planet earth and most likely will remain so for the rest of my life. Do I resent this? Not a bit.
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i can relate to the thing about not belonging in a certain country anymore.
i moved to korea from australia (10 hour flight but only 1-2 hours difference depending on daylight savings) for 3 years for uni. the year i relocated was the year i turned 18, so i was very young and i was living alone. im of korean background, so i was massively advantaged in that aspect as opposed to moving to a completely foreign country, but being born and raised in australia i still had a fair bit of adapting to do.
i dreaded coming back to australia because i absolutely loved my time there and would definitely go back whenever i can (to play. not to settle down) however there was always a little bit of emptiness knowing that i wasnt truly seen as "one of them". i was still the "foreigner" and there was still parts about the culture that i hate or just didnt adapt to.
the irony is that now that ive returned to where i was raised, i find myself unable to properly mingle with people who were raised here, my old friends included.
i definitely get what it feels like to be a man of no country. born and raised in australia with korean blood flowing through my veins but not feeling completely at home at either of the countries.
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I'm a NZer. I think it really depends on what your hobbies are and also where you're studying/living. If you enjoy getting out into nature, camping, swimming/surfing, I don't think there's anywhere in the world that has it as good. Many places have lovely natural places, but in NZ they're all very close to hand even living in one of the cities, the climate is temperate in most places, and there's no dangerous wildlife that you need to look out for. On the other hand, it is too small of a place to really enjoy a lot of the culture and nightlife of other cities or countries. I mean, to be sure, there's some cool places to visit, but nothing like the variety. The culture of the society kind of reflects that - very focused on outdoors/sports, and less on intellectual or artistic pursuits.
I moved to Australia to be with my girlfriend three and a half years ago. I took up a PhD myself, but I didn't have that lined up before leaving. Obviously Aus and NZ are very close culturally, but it was still a period of adjustment to the realities of daily life.
I do miss my family and friends, but I still play games with them. Its just a matter of maintaining communication, but also enjoying yourself. Learn about yourself. Make some new friends. Join a club or something, and you'll find NZers very friendly and open.
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I lived in China for 9 months moving from Minnesota. My best pieces of advice would be to not fight the local current too much; the people who swam most aggressively against the stream wound up being tired, upset and not enjoying them selves as much.
Don't drink too much.
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EPT
