It is generally nice experience to start a brand-new life in a new place.
Yet some people may hold a negative attitude due to the possibility of
losing old friends. As for me, it is senseless to be so pessimistic.
For one thing, moving to a new place does not necessarily mean the loss
of old friends. Thanks to the modern technologies, keeping in touch with
a friend across the ocean is no longer beyond reach. With web-cam and
microphone, every facial expression and tone of speech can be delivered
just as a face-to-face meeting. So we can still catch up with old friends
through the marvelous internet, updating latest status in Facebook or
joining the chat-room in Skype. So even one moves to a new environment,
s/he still gets to share laughter and tears with his/her old friends.
After all, real friendship goes beyond distance.
For another thing, even old friends drift apart; it is still a good thing to
move to a new place. Firstly, a new living space provides one with great
opportunities to make new friends from diverse social background but
sharing same interest. Secondly, a new living environment also means a
new way of living. It is not hard to imagine a Chinese immigrant would
find it unforgettable to taste curry or practice yoga in India. The exotic
cultures and customs offer an individual a great experience that couldn't
possibly be available otherwise. Thirdly, a new working environment helps
an individual to discover their inner strength and potential. Take my brother
for instance. He used to work at a local factory with a modest salary and
little chance of promotion. However, things began to change when he
moved to U.S. An advertising company offered him a position in the arts
department, which stimulates his interest in designing and gets him out
of his shell. He showed a good performance at work and it wasn't long
before he got a promotion. So it seems clear to me that it was the move
that change his life path and pointed him in the right direction.
Even sometimes moving may be an unpleasant experience; it is a result of
inability to adapt to new surroundings, instead of the loss of old friends.
Just imagine the feelings one experiences after leaving their familiar home
culture to live in another entirely different social environment. We can
constantly hear immigrants complaining about cultural shock. A peculiar
cuisine that's hard to swallow can give an individual a strong sense of
homesickness; or the language barrier can easily ruin a shopping trip when
bargaining is no longer the way it is back home. Such frustration gives rise
to a bad moving experience, not the slim chance of losing old friends.
All in all, with the help of modern technologies moving to a new place
no long means to compromise old friendship. Instead it is definitely
rewarding for the benefits of new social network, cultural experience
and working opportunities. Even sometimes it may turn out to be
frustrating, failure to adjust is to blame.