“I had a trade-off. So, in Tunisia, it’s really difficult to have the financial resources to marry and have a family unless you begin working,  and because you have to have a lot of savings and be able to be financially stable in your work. So when I had the opportunity to work in the U.S., I had the opportunity to shortcut all of that. I left my family. I left my hobbies. When I was growing up, my hobbies are connected to the sea, to the beach. I was spearfishing and doing that as a hobby every summer. I was looking forward to driving so that I can go spearfishing in the middle of the winter, which is not very cold in Tunisia. I was waiting to grow up and to buy a wetsuit, buy better equipment. So I said, “When I grow up, I will buy all of these with my money”. And I was thinking always that I will be in Tunisia. So when I came to the U.S., I’m not connected to the sea as much as I was. It’s not the Mediterranean Sea anymore. It’s a different sea. Because it’s foreign, I lost that hobby. And, of course, I’m not talking about social and family trade-offs. That’s taken for granted. But missing the hobbies is another blow that is very important. I am strong. I’m trying to build new hobbies. And life continues. So I don’t think it’s a sacrifice, I think it’s a trade-off. There’s a lot to gain, to be here. And I made a conscious decision to stay. I don’t think I work with regrets that much. Because I feel like if I linger and regret I will get sick. I always try to look for the future. Anything I did was because at that time it looked like a good option. Now I’m thinking about the happiest moments. All those happy moments, all the happy milestones in my life, were happy, but I never enjoyed them that much because they were stressing me out. I think my happy moments are memories. When I’m living them they are not happy, but when they become memories, they become happy because they are without the stress that couched them back then. It’s a trade-off, I don’t think it’s a sacrifice. That's a different perspective.” (Parsippany, New Jersey)

Interviewed By: Eya B