Life Lesson: Being an Immigrant and Taking Things for Granted

Life is unpredictable, incredible, and mysterious, and I think time is a very loyal life partner. They play a tricky and meaningful role with everyone, including me.

I am sitting near the Mekhong River in Chiang Khong, writing this article and appreciating the atmosphere in Thailand, where I was born and lived for 29 years.

Image by the author at the Mekong River, Thai-Lao Border, Chiang Khong, taken on July 12, 2022

Returning to Thailand for vacation, my feelings and gratitude toward Thailand differ from the year before I moved to America. Even though I have some alienated feelings, it is still home for me more than America (I will talk about my cultural alienation later).

As I mentioned above about life and time, life always has reasons for me not to be able to stay or live in my home country. Being in Thailand for only two weeks, time is the only thing I am scared of because I know that two weeks will feel like two hours for me.

Before moving to America, I always anticipated eating American food, seeing American things, meeting American people, speaking English, etc. When time passed, I realized that what I expected was just excitement that never lasted long. Now, I miss speaking Thai, seeing Thai people, eating Thai food (at a lower price), etc.

Here is what I want to say:

Your home country is your root life. You do not hate your country; you just hate the people who administrate it. Your home country is the best for you in many ways. No matter where your home country is, it is the best.

Being an immigrant taught me one big thing.

I should feel grateful and appreciative for what I have at that moment because I can never know what life will bring me tomorrow.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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