‘Immigration is like a relationship’ – I once read. When you are still an anonymous tourist it is love at first sight, everything is beautiful. You indulge in the pleasure of discovering, doing something for the first time. You’re bewitched and nothing can ruin your happiness. Being in the new country is pure delight and makes you feel like during your honey moon.
| beach in Essaouira |
After a while some things start to bother you, you discover disadvantages and bad habits of your second half – new country. You easily get irritated, sometimes you hate it. Here comes the climax. Decisions are taken: you either split up or you decide to overcome the difficulties and go for it. I knew some people whose immigration love story finished exactly at this point.
 |
| Photo taken in Riad Zahra, Essaouira |
If you decide to give it another chance, third stage comes: adaptation. You start to accept things as they are. You adjust. You don’t fight. You realize that happiness doesn’t mean that everything is perfect and you decide to look beyond the imperfections and find beauty in them.
 |
| photo taken in Essaouira |
The last step is vital. It is when you both start to think alike. You understand why things are as they are. You Accept the way they function. You enjoy the country, you love it as it is – with its weaknesses and blemishes. You can think in multiple ways, your horizons are broadened, your comfort zone is fine. Now is the time when you have bicultural identity.Â
…I can undoubtedly say that it is stage#4 in my relationship with Morocco :)
| photo taken in Kasbah le Jammou |
Loved reading this post. Especially love the way you use a typical human relationship cycle to describe your love affair with your new country..your bi-cultural identity. Well done to you for sticking with your journey and seeing it through. Looking forward to meeting you when next we visit.
Thanks guys! Glad you liked it and so looking forward to meeting you too!