🧊 The Migration Iceberg

Did you know that with an iceberg, only about 10% is visible above the waterline?
That means a staggering 90% lies beneath the surface — vast, hidden, and often overlooked.

Migration is much the same.

The part that most people see is the surface stuff:

The move to a new country
The job title
The polished accent
The smiling photo at a citizenship ceremony

From the outside, it can look like everything is going well.
Like you've adjusted.
Like you've made it.
Like you should be grateful.

But if you’ve migrated, you know: what people see is only a fraction of the story.

🌊 What’s Below the Surface

What most people don’t see is what’s happening underneath — the emotional weight, the daily negotiations, the internal tug-of-war.

The invisible 90% might include:

Grief for the life left behind — the familiar smells, the relationships, the identity
Fear of not belonging, of saying the wrong thing, of never being “enough”
Loss of confidence, of qualifications, of being understood without having to explain
Pressure to succeed, to prove you’re worthy of being here
Exhaustion from navigating systems, cultures, expectations — constantly
Loneliness that lives in your chest even in a crowded room
Cultural dissonance — feeling like a guest in both your old and new homes

It’s a heavy, silent kind of work.
The kind that’s hard to explain, especially when people around you keep reminding you how “lucky” you are to be here.

If only they knew the price tag that came with that luck — the emotional toll, the invisible effort, the constant rebuilding.

🧭 Why This Matters

The reason this matters is because so many of us end up trying to survive this depth of experience without the support we truly need.

You might be given advice when what you really need is compassion.
You might be praised for your strength when inside, you’re barely holding things together.
You might be told to "focus on the positives" when what you need most is permission to grieve.

It’s like putting a bandaid on a gaping wound.
Sure, it might hold things together for a while.
It might make everything look fine from the outside.
But deep down, you know — for that wound to heal, it needs proper treatment.
It needs stitches, care, and time.

And so do you.

Because if you don’t take time to look beyond the surface,
you will be building on rocky ground — unstable, fragile, and at risk of cracking under pressure.

You don’t need more pressure to “settle in.”
You need space to be whole.
To acknowledge what you’ve lost, what you’re still carrying, and who you’re becoming.
To be seen not just for your achievements, but for your truth.

Because your pain isn’t too much.
Your story isn’t too complex.
And you deserve support that holds the entire iceberg — not just the tip.