My first years of the adaptation in a new country Canada

I was only 18 when I came to Canada. My late father realised more and more that in Croatia, my sister and I couldn't have a good life for a long period, or even worse: never.

All he wanted was a better future for my sister and me. My mother wished the same even more as she couldn't bear the fact that sometimes she couldn't provide even essential things for my sister and me. Because of this, she often felt deep sadness.

I lived in Croatia for a long time, and I loved this place as I had a beautiful childhood there and I was tied to the same home where I lived since birth. On the other hand, I agreed with the decision to move to Canada because we lived in poverty. During wartime and after, the socio-economic situation was even worse.

When I came to Canada, I was happy to meet new friends and go for coffee and treats or to shopping centers with them. Also, we visited each other more often as we were new in Canada, and we all learnt French. Most of my new friends weren't in the same class as me, but we were at the same learning center.

However, when I was in the apartment between my four walls, I felt like a stranger for a long time, and I had the impression of being lost somehow, as I suffered from nostalgia. Everything was accentuated when I dreamt about the former Yugoslavia and summers.

Luckily, my mother and my sister weren't nostalgic at all, so it was, at some point, relieving for me.

I missed my family from former Yugoslavia, my little old home, and my gardens where I planted flowers and vegetables with a lot of love. I also missed a big cherry tree where I jumped ecstatically all the time as a child.

As the years passed, I became less nostalgic with time, and I started to adapt in my new country more and more, as I realized that it's where my life is at the present moment.

Most of all, I always appreciated the concept of multiculturalism, and I started to realize that I am at a place where no one will judge me for who I am. Most of the people here work and care about their own life, their family and friends.

At the learning center where I was learning French, a lot of great memories were created, and we, the students, laughed a lot during our studies as sometimes awkward situations happened when we learnt a new language. On top of this, our teacher was very witty and positive person. Also, she loved meals from various countries and sometimes, we, the students, prepared lunches for the whole class.

In Canada, I met people from various countries, and it was so interesting to discover many customs from other cultures. Also, I enjoyed the fact that I was going with my parents to the same place to learn French and be in the same class as them...

(To be continued)