Editor’s note: Stella Igweamaka is a senior execution consultant at Servus Credit Union. This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared under the title “Purple Bliss: Thriving as an Immigrant” on Generation1.ca.
“Have you considered pivoting to nursing and medical care?”
“I still don’t understand what you mean when you talk about market research.”
“You should really think about changing fields especially one in the medical care field.”
“You mean you’d leave all you have and migrate to a new country, and you still want to remain in the same field, doing what again you said?”
The above are some of the never ending questions and comments I received from friends, acquaintances and friends of my parents as everyone learned of the big decision that my family and I would be migrating to Canada. While these were all genuine concerns, my friends and family had no idea what fear and anxiety they placed in me as I kept rethinking my decision to continue my career upon moving to Canada.
October 24, 2022 marked two years since my family and I arrived to Canada as permanent residents. As I reflect on my journey from the past two years, from my last days in Nigeria to now, I feel grateful for the experiences and things I have learned along the way, some of which I am sharing below. The learning never stops and the journey is continuous, which is why I have termed it “Purple Bliss.” I am big on my Christian faith and I would acknowledge that my faith has been a significant factor in helping me thrive in my new country.
Now, here are some learnings I have picked up on my journey and would love to share with you. I believe you will find important nuggets that you can take out of this piece.
You can be anything you want to be. If you were a journalist in your home country and you wanted to be an actor in your new one, you should go for it. A dear mentor once told me ...