I was visiting my hometown with my girlfriend last week.
We went to this little street food place that I’ve been going to since I was a kid.
The same guy has been running it for almost 20 years.
After a really nice meal that felt like home, I went up to him to pay, and said “I really missed this.”
He said “You should come and eat every now and then.”
I said “I wish I could, but I live abroad now.”
And suddenly, we find ourselves chatting about life goals and great places to live in.
He details all his dreams and his vision of a good life.
He talks about his unique skills in the kitchen and the plethora of certificates he has, and how he’s trained a lot of people who moved abroad to open their own restaurants.
He says he already has networks in the USA, Canada, England, Germany and so on.
Despite all these seemingly big advantages, he goes “But I’m 49, it’s too late for me now.”
He thinks language is the problem, and says “Nothing is easy, and it’s even harder at this age.”
I say my parents moved to Germany a little more than 2 years ago.
My mom, 56 years old, learned German by only practicing Duolingo during this period, and recently got her B2 certificate.
I tell him he can do it if he really wants, with my mom being the case in point.
He says he’s just not good at it.
He then mentions his 2 kids—11 and 14 years old, one of which is a swimmer and competes for the country at some level.
He complains about how they are on their phone 24/7, not interested in learning any skill, can’t even describe a simple address by heart, and just Google things when needed.
He goes “Now we have to think for our kids.”
Then he quotes this rich NBA player whose kids will never have to learn how to make money.
Therefore, his grandkids will have less money, and their kids will have even less.
I tell him that they don’t have to learn the way he or his parents did, that’s how generations build on top of each other.
After all, thanks to his efforts, and his parents before him, his kids may be lucky enough to pursue what they are passionate about, and never have to think about money.
And as a result, they will be successful and make a lot of money.
They will pursue self-actualization and find their true calling.
He just laughs.
He then talks about how this country is going down day by day, and I see that myself.
And there’s no future for his kids there, so he really just wants to move abroad for his kids.
He says he doesn’t mind if he has to come back later, he just wants the kids to leave.
My girlfriend asks him if he looked for scholarships for his swimmer kid, as there are many options for young athletes.
He says such and such countries don’t grant scholarships, but they actually do.
He’s also worried if the kids will be able to make friends and learn the language.
I tell him that they will adapt really fast for sure, I mean the elder is not even 15 years old yet.
He says they will lose a year of their life adapting, and stay behind in their classes and stuff.
I ask him what is one year in a lifetime, especially for such young kids.
He runs out of excuses, and says “We’ll see.”
So I think to myself, what is it that you really want?
Comments