“I have been an expat for almost a decade. My husband’s professional and academic pursuits pull him around the world, so together we travel and settle wherever he needs to go. I have met amazing people and visited amazing places, but the initial struggle to find community when moving to a completely new country has not gotten easier. What I have learned is that I am in control of how much effort I put into finding people and places that make me feel happy and fulfilled, and even global pandemics can’t stop me from having fun.
Before moving to the Upper Valley, I left my home in India and spent seven years in Tokyo, Japan. The culture there was so different than anything I had ever experienced, and the fact that I could not speak Japanese did not help me understand it better. Instead of letting myself feel isolated, I began making friends at work and took advantage of the incredible experiences Japan, and Tokyo specifically, has to offer. While I was able to find amazing communities in the city and through my work, the fast pace of life in Tokyo was overwhelming at times and I was ready for a change by the time we moved away.
When my husband and I moved to the Upper Valley it was February 2020, so we only had one month here before the world went into lockdown. I hadn’t had any time yet to find people or communities to connect with and we didn’t even have a home yet, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this was the hardest move I have experienced. But again, I refused to let this unfortunate set of circumstances hold me back. I began by reaching out to other Indians in the area to make friends and learn about the Upper Valley. Soon I started getting to know my coworkers at DHMC in the radiology department, working in person definitely helped with making connections, which then led to many cocktail hours on zoom. I love to be in dance groups and improv theater, and it has been hard not getting to practice these hobbies, but I am optimistic that once more people are vaccinated I will get to do these activities again. In the meantime, I have used my energy to explore the beautiful nature of this area. While Tokyo was constantly bright and full of sound, there is such tranquility here. I am very ready to start experiencing a non-restricted Upper Valley life, but I am grateful for the people and experiences that have already helped me fall in love with this area.”–Surbhi Mittal, Lebanon, NH
