Survival: Navigating the Pressures of Living Abroad
By Leoma Monaheng
I have lived multiple lives within a 31-year time span. I have collaborated with and founded numerous brands and I have given to charity for most of my adult life. These are the things that I can readily say that I am most proud of. The year of 2023, however, was the most difficult for me as I had to come to terms with the sheer scope and pressure of living abroad.
My one true gift which I have always been able to leverage towards my own gain has been honesty. I have always known that people will resonate quicker with the truth and quickly mistrust and disengage with any form of fakeness. And now as I write this; I find myself wondering, what is my truth again?
In truth, I’ve had to deal with the isolation that comes from wanting to make acquaintances but barely having the time or energy to engage with people consistently. Not to mention, the element of having new hurdles constantly thrown at you as an alien in a foreign land. Some of these feelings may be particular to me but I also believe that they might also reflect the feelings of distraught, loneliness and sometimes, isolation, felt by many in the Diaspora.
My experiences in dealing with the outright jarring conditions of learning International Development forced me to find outlets through which I could deal with my own emotions and feelings in a way that made sense to me. The gym was one of these ways for me. It was a form of escape for me as it was where I was able to focus on my breathing through exercise. I also picked up my love for art and culture by visiting museums and being engaged in discussions and discourses on the arts and literature.
I believe that the ability to stay true to oneself is not only a must but a responsibility, even more so when you find yourself in a foreign country.
The realities of having to juggle a limited monthly stipend while keeping afloat, having a social life and still keeping good grades, while also making sure that your family back at home is looked after and your projects continue is enough to take a strain on anyone. This is why it is important to self-design – to take stock of what you truly need to do to take care of yourself and ease into life. I believe that the ability to stay true to oneself is not only a must but a responsibility, even more so when you find yourself in a foreign country.
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