Migration is not simply about moving to another country, finding a new job, or beginning a different life. Behind the image of “success abroad” there may be financial insecurity, uncertainty, social isolation, loneliness, pressure created by the expectations of those left behind, and a profound sense of living between two worlds. When life in the new country differs significantly from what someone had imagined, the disappointment may extend far beyond a job that did not materialise or a life that did not unfold as expected. It can affect identity, self-esteem, relationships, and the entire personal narrative surrounding “Why did I leave?” and “What did I expect to find?” At that point, “Where do I belong?”is no longer simply a question of place, but a question of self, as a person may feel they are no longer quite who they were before leaving, yet have not become the person they imagined they would be in their new country.
Adjustment, however, does not require someone to reject the life they left behind in order to build a new one, nor does it mean having to prove that migration was the “right” or successful choice. Rather, it involves gradually integrating who they were with who they are becoming, developing new relationships and points of connection, recognising small everyday achievements, and rebuilding a sense of belonging. This process can affect not only the individual but also couples and families, as migration may reshape roles, financial dynamics, patterns of dependence and autonomy, and the ways family members understand themselves and one another. Ultimately, we do not simply change countries; we renegotiate what home means, who our people are, and how to make room both for what we have left behind and for what we may still create in the life ahead.
The full article was originally published on the Psychology Portal – Psychology.gr.