Life as an immigrant is very emotionally draining…
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Life as an immigrant is very emotionally draining!
Firstly, I write this from a point of privilege and I have nothing but gratitude towards Germany.
As we approach our 40s, we have our kids, we have to work to sustain and yet there's this constant hang on the back of our minds that our parents who live in a small Non EU country are ageing. The fact that we cannot spend time with them in their old age kills me. The fact that our kids dont get to spend their time in the warmth of grandparents aches my heart.
My parents cannot visit us as they need a visa and it's difficult for them to constantly prepare the documents + visa to visit Germany (Usually Visas to them are given for 3 months only).
And, I cannot simply leave my life in Munich and go to them either as we have kids, they go to school here and we dont want our kids to go thru the whole visa nightmare we had when me and my partner came here for studies. We are eligible for German citizenship, but our country doesnt recognize dual citizenship.
On the cultural aspects, me and my partner grew up high in the mountains. We had festivals and occasions back home that are not celebrated here. When I look back at my childhood, there was so much joy because of these festivals, the vibrancy and colors of our festivals, the gatherings and the sense of community had such profound impact on us. I feel a sense of void here and it makes my heart ache that my kids are devoid of the culture that we have back home.
We visit our parents once or twice a year (depending on school holidays). We have savings, but not enough to buy a house in Munich. We can buy a house back home, but we cannot move for kids, job, education. Parents and in laws are getting older and they cannot travel often as they need a visa all the time. I don't see a good way out. So we feel stuck.
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Firstly, I write this from a point of privilege and I have nothing but gratitude towards Germany.
As we approach our 40s, we have our kids, we have to work to sustain and yet there's this constant hang on the back of our minds that our parents who live in a small Non EU country are ageing. The fact that we cannot spend time with them in their old age kills me. The fact that our kids dont get to spend their time in the warmth of grandparents aches my heart.
My parents cannot visit us as they need a visa and it's difficult for them to constantly prepare the documents + visa to visit Germany (Usually Visas to them are given for 3 months only).
And, I cannot simply leave my life in Munich and go to them either as we have kids, they go to school here and we dont want our kids to go thru the whole visa nightmare we had when me and my partner came here for studies. We are eligible for German citizenship, but our country doesnt recognize dual citizenship.
On the cultural aspects, me and my partner grew up high in the mountains. We had festivals and occasions back home that are not celebrated here. When I look back at my childhood, there was so much joy because of these festivals, the vibrancy and colors of our festivals, the gatherings and the sense of community had such profound impact on us. I feel a sense of void here and it makes my heart ache that my kids are devoid of the culture that we have back home.
We visit our parents once or twice a year (depending on school holidays). We have savings, but not enough to buy a house in Munich. We can buy a house back home, but we cannot move for kids, job, education. Parents and in laws are getting older and they cannot travel often as they need a visa all the time. I don't see a good way out. So we feel stuck.
#local
source
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