Moving to a new place is always a hard adjustment. Hell, they make movies and shows all based on a "family move". A lot can happen when a new boy or girl goes to a new school in the middle of the year or even the beginning of the year--when you're the newest one there, it's always the hardest to adjust.
I have moved around a lot in my life. When I was only 2 months old, I am told, we moved from Iran to Ankara, Turkey to live for the first 5 years of my life. Then, we moved back to Iran. I lived in Tehran for another 5 years though I must say each time I attended school, it felt like I was the new kid because as soon as holidays hit, my parents would take me from school and we would race to our hometown, Gorgan, where my grandmother and other relatives resided. So I always felt like "the new kid" every summer we went to Gorgan and then I always felt like the "new kid" every time we came back to Tehran for the school year.
After those 5 years in Tehran, we made an even bigger change--when we moved to New York. I was only 10 years old back then. That was definitely the biggest move for me--being in the 5th grade and moving (in the middle of the year mind you) to a new country, where I didn't speak the language or know anything about the culture--it was pretty traumatic. I was attending a private Islamic school for 3 years when I then changed schools (again in the middle of the year) to a public school near my house. Trauma after trauma I tell ya...
Luckily, I was able to stay in the same school from 8th grade all the way until I graduated high school. Then, it was time to go to college in the big apple. It was an adjustment then too, because I had to commute to school on my own all the way from Westchester to the city. That was probably one of the best adjustments because the city took me in and embraced me. I had finally found where I truly belonged--until I made yet another change and decided to explore a romantic relationship with someone from my actual hometown in Gorgan, Iran. So at the age of 23, I made another scary change in my life and moved (temporarily) to Tehran, Iran. I hadn't lived in my own country for 13 years! You can just imagine what a culture shock that was for me.
For the next 4 years of my life, I was living between New York and Tehran--a few months in Iran and a few months in New York. I took up a teaching job in LaGuardia Community College in NY for two semesters, I took up another full-time position in Tehran at Amirkabir University--all while I traveled back and forth and resided in both countries in these years all while getting to know my sweetheart, marrying him, waiting for his papers and visa to be set for US, and going through an adventure or myself. Finally, in 2015, I moved to San Francisco Bay Area in California. This was last summer.
I had originally decided to come straight to LA but due to financial difficulties and other personal issues, I ended up settling in Northern California with my sister for the next year. My husband finally got approved for his visa and came to the U.S. on May 26, 2016. We traveled together for a month when he arrived--we went to Miami, took a cruise together (which counted as a late honeymoon), visited NY and he took another trip on his own to Texas for a few weeks. We were deciding what the best place for us to move and settle down to was when we finally landed on Los Angeles, CA.
Since August 2016, we have been living in Northridge, CA (located in San Fernando Valley). My husband works in a small engineering firm full-time and I am taking Business classes while working as a freelance writer and editor. I think my life experiences have prepared me for today as I should have become a "master adjuster" after all the moves I've made in my life. However, the truth is, even after all these moves, though I have become much stronger and am able to accept "change" much easier than many others, it's still a hard process. I guess this is one human trait--the need to be part of a community and belong--that I can't shake.
I have moved around a lot in my life. When I was only 2 months old, I am told, we moved from Iran to Ankara, Turkey to live for the first 5 years of my life. Then, we moved back to Iran. I lived in Tehran for another 5 years though I must say each time I attended school, it felt like I was the new kid because as soon as holidays hit, my parents would take me from school and we would race to our hometown, Gorgan, where my grandmother and other relatives resided. So I always felt like "the new kid" every summer we went to Gorgan and then I always felt like the "new kid" every time we came back to Tehran for the school year.
After those 5 years in Tehran, we made an even bigger change--when we moved to New York. I was only 10 years old back then. That was definitely the biggest move for me--being in the 5th grade and moving (in the middle of the year mind you) to a new country, where I didn't speak the language or know anything about the culture--it was pretty traumatic. I was attending a private Islamic school for 3 years when I then changed schools (again in the middle of the year) to a public school near my house. Trauma after trauma I tell ya...
Luckily, I was able to stay in the same school from 8th grade all the way until I graduated high school. Then, it was time to go to college in the big apple. It was an adjustment then too, because I had to commute to school on my own all the way from Westchester to the city. That was probably one of the best adjustments because the city took me in and embraced me. I had finally found where I truly belonged--until I made yet another change and decided to explore a romantic relationship with someone from my actual hometown in Gorgan, Iran. So at the age of 23, I made another scary change in my life and moved (temporarily) to Tehran, Iran. I hadn't lived in my own country for 13 years! You can just imagine what a culture shock that was for me.
For the next 4 years of my life, I was living between New York and Tehran--a few months in Iran and a few months in New York. I took up a teaching job in LaGuardia Community College in NY for two semesters, I took up another full-time position in Tehran at Amirkabir University--all while I traveled back and forth and resided in both countries in these years all while getting to know my sweetheart, marrying him, waiting for his papers and visa to be set for US, and going through an adventure or myself. Finally, in 2015, I moved to San Francisco Bay Area in California. This was last summer.
I had originally decided to come straight to LA but due to financial difficulties and other personal issues, I ended up settling in Northern California with my sister for the next year. My husband finally got approved for his visa and came to the U.S. on May 26, 2016. We traveled together for a month when he arrived--we went to Miami, took a cruise together (which counted as a late honeymoon), visited NY and he took another trip on his own to Texas for a few weeks. We were deciding what the best place for us to move and settle down to was when we finally landed on Los Angeles, CA.
Since August 2016, we have been living in Northridge, CA (located in San Fernando Valley). My husband works in a small engineering firm full-time and I am taking Business classes while working as a freelance writer and editor. I think my life experiences have prepared me for today as I should have become a "master adjuster" after all the moves I've made in my life. However, the truth is, even after all these moves, though I have become much stronger and am able to accept "change" much easier than many others, it's still a hard process. I guess this is one human trait--the need to be part of a community and belong--that I can't shake.
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