“You can’t really understand that.”
I hear this sentence often.
Not as a direct reproach, more between the lines.
And it is true.
I have never started over in a foreign country.
But I do know what a new beginning means.
At 24 I woke up and could not move my legs.
Herniated disc. Emergency surgery.
Many operations followed.
Wheelchair. Learning to walk again.
Years on sick leave.
Job lost. Early retirement as an option.
I resisted.
Against giving up.
Against the feeling of not being needed.
What carried me? Routines.
Getting up in the morning. Getting dressed.
Going to bed at night, even without appointments.
Giving my days structure, even when it was small.
I had to start over.
As a young adult.
As a man.
Later as a father.
As a professional with limitations.
Looking back today I say:
It was hard.
But it shaped me into who I am now.
And maybe that is why I do what I do today.
Because my new beginning was unplanned.
Because planning was taken from me.
International professionals have that advantage.
They can plan. They can prepare.
And that is why I see so much meaning in helping others prepare.
Because I know how much it helps when you know what is ahead.
You can’t understand.
