Some people received me when I arrived but I didn’t know the language and it was difficult for me to communicate with them. Not being able to understand others and to express myself made me feel weak. Fortunately, there was a man from my country who was a cultural mediator and spoke my language; talking with him helped me to receive basic information to fulfil my primary needs and also to learn the essential words of the new language. I also attended language courses and the certificates that I received at the end where very useful when l was looking for a job.
When I first arrived at the destination, I felt disoriented and I didn’t know precisely where I was and where to go. On one hand, I had to fulfil my primary needs such as finding a place to stay or getting some food. On the other, I wanted to understand where I was and which were the rules of my new reality that may be different from my culture of origin. I therefore tried to rebuild a map to get oriented in my new situation and be able to give the best response to my first exigencies.
During the travel I realized for the first time that the main responsibility for myself and my life was with me and that my future depends also on my own capacity and confidence. I have learnt from all that I have been through during those days, from the good situations but also from the most difficult ones. Now I know myself better, my limitations and my capacities, which is important to reorganize my own project. I realized that my experience is a precious background that will constantly expand and grow, so it should be developed with care and valued. Communicating and talking about my experience to others is actually a good way to value it.
When I arrived in the new land, I felt disoriented and lost. Everything was so different and strange.
A lot of persons asked me questions, I did not understand them quite easily at the beginning but then it became better with the help of a guy who help me with the translation. I was scared to talk to people because often I did not feel welcomed. Moreover I couldn’t demonstrate my age, because I had lost my documents during the trip. Luckily I was recognized as a minor with medical tests and I got some food and a place to sleep.
I met some guys coming from my country who had faced the same travel experience and we stayed united in order to support and encourage each other.
When I left, it was the first time that I separated from my community and therefore I felt a little bit alone and unprotected. Fortunately, the mates I met during the travel became like my new family during some time. I talked with them about a lot of things; we shared information and explained our plans. Of course it was very important to understand who was a real friend and who had instead other intentions and was badly advising me. Knowing and sharing this experience with these good friends helped me to gain the courage to face the situation of uncertainty in which I found myself. It also helped giving a meaning to the difficult situation I was in.
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