Acceptance in a Foreign Country

Acceptance is great and without acceptance, life won't feel happier. My culture and nationality allow me to feel great and happy in a new environment.

I live a happy and modern lifestyle and enjoy learning about the lifestyle of Croatia. In my belief happiness is great and only that can make me feel good each day.

My life is not just about cooking, cleaning, and watching television. It is not about ignoring talking with boring people, and about cleaning up after others. I chat with friendly people and enjoy that.

While observing the lives of others, and their traditional and old-fashioned lifestyles, I have learned a lot about men and women in Croatia's lifestyles.

It is not easy to comprehend living in a foreign country. People are different and have different approaches to everything they do here. Be it in the kitchen or in the garden.

I chose to write about this hub from my personal experiences with the local people.

• Living in a village with over one hundred people is challenging too few people and more gossip. The many changes made me stronger in this life.
• My life is not like their lives in any way, I feel different and do differently as well.

For example:

I enjoy dancing and local people find that old-fashioned.

My friendly smile shows local people I am happy with what I have. I am confident and pull them apart. My way of enjoying myself is not anything like how they do it.

I speak directly to people and tell them my true feelings. When I am together with the local women. I feel great and they treat me that way.

Some of the local people respect me and like me to be part of their culture.

I speak English at home and speak the Croatian language when required of me. Most of the local people think we should speak the Croatian language at home. To make the language part of our daily conversations. I prefer not to do that.

I listen to my instincts and don't need anyone to tell me how I should approach my decisions, and stand by my choices.

Most of the local people are materialistic people. It is what makes them the happiest. I on the other hand am the complete opposite.

I prefer being happy with love and happiness and good health. Certain people look down on others if others have a poor standard of living.

For example:

A family who has a fancy home, and a car is wealthy and doesn't care to visit families who don't have that wealthy lifestyle.

The wealthy family looks to the other family as beneath them.

A lack of sense of humour and mentalities makes us who we are in this world. I see this lifestyle in the place I live in.

We don’t have much in common and don’t laugh at the same jokes.

I do try to communicate as much as I can with the local people. Since we don't have much in common. I try to go on with my life in my way. This is to make my moments happy and with my preferred company.

This happens everywhere in the world, but in a small community, each new day allows me to go forward with a positive mind.

Life is what you make of it is what I believe in!

Phrases such as, ‘’When you in Rome do as the Romans do,'' or ''if you can’t beat them then join them,'' are all easier said than done.

I had not experienced such behaviours before I came to Croatia, I saw the way most people live here and learned a lot about these people.

There are all types of people, and I have noticed their behaviours too. I try to keep my distance, and it works perfectly for me.

My experiences allow me the opportunity to write when I can. To share with my readers, and to enlighten the minds of the readers of my new life in a foreign country.

Acceptance in a Foreign Country

I will always be the foreigner in this circle.

Sometimes it felt difficult to cope with conversations with others. As unusual as it may appear to the eyes of the local people, happiness to me is normal. I grew up in a happy childhood and will not change the way I am for anyone.

Most of the local people have not accepted me in their lives. I have been living in Croatia for many years and still must go through many challenges. It is like these moments won't go away or will always be different.

No matter how much I try to fit in, it is not happening to me. It is difficult to get together with people I am not able to understand in communicate with.

I have decided to focus on my life, totally, and not to visit anyone unless asked occasionally.

The more I see, the more I don't want to be with such people. I have tried helping at odd times and each time I tried to help to prepare a meal they refused my offer.

I learned something new and there is always an individual who will try to make me feel like an outsider (the foreigner).

I find it hard to understand how they can behave this way, yet I live here and speak to these people daily. Accepting foreigners in any country is not a friendly gesture.

Far too many envious lives of the local people have gotten to me lately. I enjoy talking to and visiting people but understanding their mentality is most inconvenient or complicated for me.

Have you ever felt this way living in a foreign country?

The local people do like me. I would be easily accepted if I gave up my way of life in return. I am a tough nut to crack, and won't give in.

I can't just throw away the part of me that makes me the happiest They don't understand me, and what they want is for me to let go of my modern lifestyle, and to fall into their old-fashioned lifestyle.

Growing up in a Westernized life made me the modern person I am today, and I not only like it that way, but I also prefer it that way.

Trying to make me something I am not, is not going to work out.

I prefer an easy and convenient life, and will not allow anyone else to take away what makes me who I am.

Life here has never been easy from day one for me. There is too much red tape, and it took me forever to get started on a project.

I had long waits for paperwork to be sorted out to open my business.

I waited for six years to become a Croatian citizen, and finally, I can have my own business.

The time I spent here was the greatest of challenges that I ever had to go through. To put up with people who find it so hard to accept me without change.

Another experience that would eventually pass and will always be talked of among us. It has been most difficult to start speaking the language.

Now that I know a lot of the language and of the behaviour of different people I know what is best for me.

Life is what you make of it!

• I know that if I sulk nothing will feel good in my life.
• To feel good, I write.
• Family is important to me.
• I enjoy spending time with my family.
• Conversations get better and I am positive about my new beginning in Croatia.
• People are the same everywhere and should be treated with respect.
• I can't pretend to be happy when I am not happy. I will not put on a pretend smile. I can't do what others do.
• A difficult life to be in if not born into it.