The COVID-19 pandemic was a strange time. Loved ones falling sick. Then passing away. The lockdowns. The terror from not knowing who had the virus and who didn't. The social isolation.
And the subsequent breakdown of the first layer of trust that guides how a society behaves in public.
For immigrants like Maryam Atoyebi, this meant settling down into a new society was hard. 2X harder than it should normally be.
I moved in 2021, so I didn't fully experience what it felt like as everyone tried to navigate the new rules for societal interaction. But the little I experienced was emotionally tasking. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for Maryam and others who moved to a new country about that time.
Maryam joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about all the feels while trying to settle down during the pandemic. We also chatted about:
Her biggest mistakes
How to use informational interviews to build your confidence when job hunting and interviewing
Handling the loss of identity that comes with being put into a box when you move to a new society
And intersectionality as a skill set.
I’ll leave you with this great piece of advice from Maryam: Understand that every piece of advice you get from other immigrants is contextual. It’s often coming from a good place, but its colored by their experience, their bias, and their perspective or view of the world.
Your job is to apply your context to what you hear.
Did you read it?
Two months ago, Nelly Kawira shared a hilarious thread on Twitter about all she’s learned and achieved since moving to London two years ago.
Well, she’s published an updated version on The Newcomers, with some great images to boot.
E53: Maryam Atoyebi thinks the pandemic made it harder for immigrants to settle down