s-1
| I was born in 1990 in Sukhumi, the main city of Abkhazia, ex-USSR. |
s-2
| After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the situation grew more dangerous with a civil war in Abkhazia, we moved to Russia - travelling in the cargo hold of the plane. |
s-3
| Once there, we lived in a studio with three other families. |
s-4
| At the time, Greece was offering special asylum to ethnic Greeks and since my moms side is Greek, we took advantage of the opportunity. |
s-5
| From the moment I got to Greece, I fit in perfectly. |
s-6
| This sense of belonging helped me grow in confidence and I became very extroverted and outgoing. |
s-7
| Living in Greece was great, but there was another change awaiting us. |
s-8
| In 2000 we moved to the US because my dads siblings were already living there. |
s-9
| I didnt fit in as quickly as I had in Greece. |
s-10
| During my first year of school I was nervous every day. |
s-11
| My aunt used to drop me off in front of my school and I would often get out of the car, vomit and then go to class. |
s-12
| Thankfully, by the following year I was able to speak English pretty well and started adapting to my new life. |
s-13
| Looking back, I appreciate every move and hardship my family had to face. |
s-14
| I credit those experiences for shaping my studies, travels and aspirations. |
s-15
| At the same time, I think I lack the sense of permanency that others gain from having a stable childhood. |
s-16
| Since my family is scattered across different countries, there isnt a single place that I can confidently call home. |
s-17
| At least I know that I have people that will always feel like home to me. |