What Is the Price You Are Willing to Pay to Build Your Own Home Outside Your Comfort Zone?

Many contemporary people face the challenge building their own comfort zone in a foreign country; whatever the reason of leaving their home, it is very subjective perspective to what makes the place feel like home. Among all the personal considerations there are some who relate to visuals of the place, there are some who relate to scent of the place, there are some who relate to a vibe place awards and there are some who feel home in the places their favorite material thing resides.

It is no secret that many emigrants leave their home countries searching for a better place for life. Fascinated and driven by photos, videos from the Net and/or adventurous stories from friends people move to those “better places”. It does not take long to realize the other side of the picture that is being concealed behind the scenes and many get familiar with the feeling “it is always better in the place where I am not”. 

So I am here to ask: “What is the price you are willing to pay for the better life?”.

No doubt the majority of youth start exploring other countries for easy money: summer jobs, temporary placements with high pay, work and travel opportunities and other. Inevitably they broaden their perspective to life grounds and values and realize there are so many other ways to live than the way they learned at home. Fascinated by the new experiences and cultures, they involve in many different activities that keep the blood pumping and head spinning. They become the ones who tell those exciting stories and introduce unfamiliar to their home-countries. However, in the long run many face that chasing the new becomes a continuous search for searching the old. 

Speaking with emigrants one would mostly hear that “pan-cakes are never as tasty as they are at Grandmothers”, “bread is never as tasty as it is at home” and many other. This I would interpret it as reaching out to something from the past, something painfully familiar.

Needless to say emigrants have to start from the scratch when they first move to the strange country: new home, new routines, new legislation, new environment, new people, and new culture – every of the mentioned takes much effort and energy to get friendly with. With time emigrants settle in and sort of blend in to the mass, however, regardless of the social or legislative protection only few can feel entirely equal part of the system. Exactly when new and exciting things become rather old and routine dilemmas of opportunity costs kick in: is it worth to get such money for a price of not being close to the root-Family? Is it worth replacing old social circles with the new? Is it worth to be in a beautiful sights for a cost of trading your own countryside and? Is it all worth to always be the stranger? Is it worth the time of learning the new in comparison to the same time being used to make it work in your own country? 

Observations tell that many choose to live under basic living standards: high pay – rather short working hours, convenient – uncomfortable accommodation, fun and adventurous – strange and unsecure friendships, fast – long lasting turn of events. However, only few consider the comfort they are sacrificing when staying abroad. One can only wonder on a personal scale how much monetary value does a Family and root-Friends are worth.

What is it that people are actually running away from? And can they ever be happy?

At the end of the day, most of the emigrants want to make up for what they have been missing out on in their own country. However, the weight of building your own home in a strange country might be just as heavy as the burden of staying in the birth-country. 

Sooner or later, roots will call You back!

Here are some pictures of different Viewpoints in Vilnius, Lithuania, 21 03 2013:

Gediminas Castle Viewpoint

Subaciaus Viewpoint

http://aarhusculture.com/2013/03/22/to-be-in-denmark-or-not-to-be/