23/09/2023
I came to Canada last month but found it very hard to stay here. What can I do now?
I might know exactly what are you going through. Of course it will not be fair to compare your story to mine, but I hope sharing my thoughts with you as a person who was once in your shoes 3 years ago will be of help :)
I moved to Canada from a poor country in the Northern East part of Africa. Everything was new to me which was overwhelming for me on both sides positive and negative. And by everything I mean every single thing. What locals would consider normal and wouldn't take brain cell to do I just stood there freezing not knowing what to do.
The social norms here took me a while to decode, and I am still yet to learn more, but that was my biggest challenge because with no family or friends in my town I needed to make a new social circle. And I found that making new friends as an adult is just really really hard, and on top of that my ignorance to the social norms was doing me the opposite of help along with the language barrier.
I just realized I can spend the whole day listing the struggles that I faced and the ones I am still facing when I moved to Canada, and I am sure you already are aware what they are. So I will just cut to the chase. In my case the problem was not in Canada even though in my head it seemed to be. The problem was that if you suddenly take any person from the environment they grow up and lived in and put them in a new one with no prior knowledge except internet videos that are misleading, the mind of that person will face a very hard time accepting that. The mind will start comparing everything and will portrait to you that this is not a place for us. And for me getting a job didn't satisfy me at all, because I still felt that my life was just about me going to work and coming back from work.
My perception is now changing because I am adapting. I am more aware of my current environment, more familiar to the language, local sayings, phrases and slang. I feel safe everywhere I go in this country, even those places I was advised to stay away from. Canadians are one of the friendliest people I have ever seen, and the friendship bond is a sacred one. It might be really hard to pe*****te a social circle as an adult, but it is not impossible.
I hope you don't make a hasty decision in an emotional state as I was once about to do, and give this place a chance. It will not be easy at all, but from my experience it pays off.
I wrote this in a hurry, and feel that you didn't share all my thoughts. But please if you feel like reaching out for any reason please do, I will be happy if I can be of any help :)
Have great day :)