''Contrasts''

 Opposite  the word ''foreign'' in the dictionary stands synonyms like'' remote'',''distant''. ''strange'',''not belonging or related''. This is exactly what ''foreign'' meant to me, too. Simply because I felt foreign not only once in my life.
 I have never had an easy life and it took me to places I have never been before and there in the very beginning I felt like I don't belong to that place or country.
  But first allow me to tell you about the positive side of being a stranger in a new country.
 The first foreign country I had to travel to alone, was Germany. It was five years ago. I went to a little university town in the province of Bavaria to continue my education. Later, everything there turned alright for me, but I would like to share my first days in this new for me place.
  When the bus from my country/Bulgaria/ dropped me about 50 kilometers away from that town, I had to take a train. I have never stepped on a train. Even in Bulgaria. So I panicked. I knew no one in Germany, didn't know very good the language. I also didn't know how to buy a ticket to my destination. It was already getting dark but I didn't know exactly what to do. I didn't want to sleep on the street in a foreign train station. I noticed that there are fancy electronic boxes that do not exist in Bulgaria and from that machines people in Germany buy tickets for the train. Even though  I had some money with me , I didn't know if they are enough for a ticket. I had no phone and felt isolated from the world. There was no one to help me.
I saw the technological advance in Germany that in my country the Bulgarians can only dream about being so modern in every single area in life. The first minutes when I stepped on German soil, I understood that even the smallest dwelling places have things that do not exist in Bulgaria.
  Finally, I asked a random girl to buy me the ticket. She was nice and helped me. We had only a little problem in the communication but I will always be thankful to that girl who helped a boy in need. After I got on the train, I felt that a burden felt off from my shoulders but the problems were far from over.
  When I arrived in the town I supposed to be, it was already pitch-dark. I was walking around with my luggage without knowing the right direction. But I was constantly moving up and down. I saw the colorful lights and happy people around me, but my soul was crying inside and I felt like a ghost or a man no one cares about.
 I didn't want to stop moving because I knew I would panic again if I stop. I fill absolutely never forget this whole day. Still, when I think about it, I start to shiver and feel fear.
 At the end I didn't sleep on the street but the whole experience was an enormous shock for me. I was only 21 years old. I was alone. That day I have experienced on my back for the first time in my life what really''foreign'' means.
   No matter my first experience with Germany, after staying and living there for six months, everything changed in a positive way. I saw beautiful places within the country, learned the language well and when I had to leave it, I didn't felt like a complete stranger no more. I can say that I like Germany. People there never showed me in a rude way that I'm different. It was funny that when I say the Germans that I come from Bulgaria, they didn't believe it. They told me that my appearance and features are more like a man from that part of Europe. It definitely was a big compliment for me. I am happy that people from Germany accept me as equal.
 In Germany I like that people drink a lot of beer and know how to have fun. Germans are also very intelligent and have good manners.
 A lot of people from other countries live or/and study there, including people from Bulgaria.
 I think this is because Germany is the most developed country in whole Europe and people go there to seek better future for themselves.
 I can imagine also working and living there but I will always miss my family and relatives.
  The economic situation in my country is bad and doesn't offer much perspectives and suitable jobs for the young generation and people like me. That's why many prefer to emigrate to another countries, mostly in Wester Europe.
   Now, I 'd like to share with you my impressions from another country I visited a year after my stay in Germany. The next year I traveled and worked in the land of the brave and the free- U.S.A. There I felt completely free. Just like in Germany, people in the United States were tolerant and kind with me. Luckily, my first days in America weren't so harsh and difficult like those in Germany and that made me more confident and strong.
 Needless to say, this country captured my imagination and literally blew my mind. People respect every new culture, don't have prejudices to them and never left you feel like stranger or outsider. This is what I value the most.
 In America, I felt immediately that I belong in this mixture of cultures and customs  and like never in my whole life I felt completely me. Maybe in my past life I was born there.
   Of course, being a stranger somewhere has also a negative side. Fortunately, I haven't experienced it both in Germany and U.S.A.
 It is odd that very often I feel like stranger in my own country. I think this is a sign that the Bulgarian society doesn't function well and does not a single thing to integrate the young people to the processes in the country.
  In the English speaking world people  say that ''East, West-home is best''. I totally agree.
Your home is your shelter and is always pleasant , after a long wandering around the world, to return back home. To me, home is a sacred place where the family gathers in good or bad.
  We are all children of this world. No matter if we are white or black, tall or short, poor or rich. Every human being deserves a dignified life and the opportunity to experience positive emotions.
 Life is a constant travel from one place to another and at the end all repeats again. I am glad that I had the chance to visit wonderful countries like Germany and the United States of America which showed me hospitality and cozy atmosphere. Maybe someday I will return again. I love you both.