@thealepalombo US is far too big and diverse, comes down to life choices and pref. Solid economy, great opportunities, lots of great cities with excellent infra & quality of life. Europe no doubt is rich in culture & to an extent cost of living as well as option to travel and experience more.
These days—when I reflect upon the remakable life of my late father (Subhash Jain) I think a lot about the unspoken loneliness of immigration.
My Dad’s first stop in North America was a year of residency at the now-defunct Hotel Dieu Hospital in Chatam, an underserved area of New Brunswick, Canada.
Dad grew up in the desert climate of Rajasthan, India and never saw snow before. And somehow he found himself alone in New Brunswick enveloped by biting cold. He was without a car and his simple existence involved walking in the snow to take his laundry to a local laundromat. International phone calls were cost prohibitive. Just him on his lonesome trying to learn medicine and advance his career.
An otherwise stoic man, he wrote my Mom letters confessing his struggle in a new country where he barely knew a soul. And he rarely spoke of his time there with any of us. In retrospect, he likely experienced a deep unspoken trauma, though not in a million years would never call it that. When I asked him once how he did it all—he said, “Sometimes, son, you have to turn your heart to stone.”
Dad persevered on to New York and built a successful career and rich life with friends, family, and artistic and spiritual pursuits. And yet, I think about that time in his life (before I was born) with sadness.
So many people give up everything to take a chance at a better life for themselves in their families.
I write this post to honor my Dad’s struggle and that of other immigrants like him who at some uncertain time in their lives took a bold leap of faith.
Just received this beautifully crafted milestone in the mail — huge thanks to @Shopify for recognizing the journey. Grateful and excited for what’s ahead.
Would love to get one for the POS, we are now doing more orders in our retail stores than online.