"When Zina Malas decided to relocate to Canada at the age of 21, she was desperate to leave her home country of Lebanon, feeling the political and economic instability there had robbed her of her youth. Hoping to start a new life, Malas moved to Montreal alone in 2022. But she was surprised by how hard it wasto find work, how isolated she felt, and that she lived paycheck to paycheck, she told Business Insider. After launching her own business, Malas moved back to Lebanon three years after she left, and said she feels happier."
""It's very easy to romanticize moving abroad. Most people want something new, a change, or an escape from where they currently are. That's human. But those expectations are often not met in the way people imagine," she said. She moved to Canada with grand expectations of the West, and was excited to live in a country more politically stable than Lebanon. Malas imagined having the time of her life, making new friends and being social, but found Canadian culture to be highly individualistic when compared to Lebanese. When she tried striking up conversations with people while she was out, the chatter would quickly hit a dead end, she said."
Zina Malas moved from Lebanon to Montreal at 21 to escape political and economic instability that she felt had robbed her youth. She encountered difficulty finding work, experienced social isolation, and lived paycheck to paycheck. Cultural differences and an individualistic social environment made forming friendships challenging. After starting her own business, she returned to Lebanon three years later and reports greater happiness. Key advice includes managing expectations about life abroad, researching cultural and social dynamics, keeping an open mind, and building a support system to ease the transition.
Read at Business Insider
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