I'm a simple emigrant for a long time now

This month marks six years since I moved to Germany. Psychologists say that there are four periods in immigration: at first you like everything, then you don’t like anything, then you adapt, and in the end you’ve already accepted it and enjoy life. Or you leave. But it wasn’t quite like that for me. The first year and a half — I moved into an apartment among other young and energetic people. Instead of Siberia I started living in the very center of Europe, low-cost airlines flew out of Frankfurt airport. A great team at work and plenty of vacation, during which you don’t have to juggle another hundred projects. In short, life was wonderful and packed to the brim: I hung out and traveled. But I wasn’t wearing rose-colored glasses: a couple of months after moving I developed a severe rash — getting used to everything new. Getting the household setup was also quite a quest; I’ll tell sometime how I almost got arrested in the first weeks here. And I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw all these drug addicts on the streets. The next year and a half — COVID. While in Russia COVID didn’t exist, we were all locked at home and told what was happening. I was glad that I had to stay home; I needed it myself, to rest and ground myself. Here the country’s sociability showed itself in full, and I liked it. Although in this regard I sponsor the feast, not enjoy it. During this time I traveled around Germany and for the first time realized the importance of citizenship when borders were closed. The third year and a half — frustration. During this time I was hit by a small crisis of achievement. I had been here almost five years, and still didn’t have an apartment, a car, five kids, and my own business. And not even the whole city knew me yet! Quite a mess. But during this period my social circle solidified; some became real friends, and some dropped out entirely. And then war began, and it always felt strange, and achievements began to mean roughly nothing. The war in Germany also affected me, but staying here was still much more pleasant. The fourth year and a half — naturalization. I was constantly studying Germany, its history, customs and culture. But during this period I began to immerse myself in all this more deeply and consciously. For example, I took German courses, and I was already ashamed of myself. And I started paying more attention to everyday things that people don’t notice. How much basic comfort and that same work-life balance there is here. Definitely I like it more and more here, and I’m unlikely to move anywhere else. I’d say I had only two stages of adaptation: ecstatic delight at all the good and sarcastic anger at all the bad, and then calm acceptance of both. #emigrant_happiness