Criticize My Hometown or Anywhere for That Matter!!! It's Your Right to Do So!

When moving somewhere new, the biggest and most daunting challenge is meeting people and integrating.  I think I am pretty good at that now but-that said-I don't fit in everywhere.   No one does!

The simple truth is that every person comes with a set of values.  Sometimes the places we live come into direct conflict with our core value system.  There is nothing wrong with that.  "To thy own self be true."   The fact is, someone can live in a place that, say  has a beautiful landscape, but if their dream is to live in a cultural hub.  It's not negative to see what a place has to offer and to realize that it is still an incompatibility.

I was inspired to write this because I read something earlier this week that got me a little peeved.  Someone had expressed that they were having difficulty making friends where they lived on a Facebook group page.  The hostile responses “If you don't like it go home” and “It was your choice to come here” at this request for help baffled me. It takes a lot of courage for someone to ask for help when they are feeling lonely.

Moving is hard and travelling is an adventure.   This means that there are bumps along the way and the person who embarks on a journey is taking a chance on life.  No matter how much research you do beforehand or how many contingencies you put into place, there is only one guarantee.  Things will not go according to plan!  It takes a certain type of person to take this leap and their courage and sense of adventure should be regarded positively. 

It is alienating for the person who does not like the place they are in.  They are often referred to as negative or someone who talks a lot of s****.  What ends up happening thereafter, is someone who is both afraid to be themselves and ends up feeling secluded.  This will certainly not help improve the perception they have of the place!

Being from Montreal, and currently living in Paris, my hometown gets a lot of praise. Every once in a while, however, someone tells me that they didn't like their experience there.   That's fine because it is not a reflection of myself.  It was their experience.  To all you locals out there anywhere, please meet criticism of your hometown with some understanding.  Just because someone does not like the place you come from, does not mean that they don't like you.  Also, remember, that being a foreigner comes with a different set of challenges than being a native does!