I always knew I had talent. Back in my country, after years working in the tech field, I had established myself as an expert. Companies sought me out, projects flowed in, and solutions seemed almost effortless. My name was well-known in tech circles, and I felt secure, stable—almost at the top. But at some point, that security started to feel like a cage. The world was big, and I wanted more. That’s why I decided to take the leap: move to the United States, the epicenter of innovation, the place where opportunities shine for those brave enough to pursue them.
I arrived with my head full of dreams. I imagined walking through modern offices, rubbing shoulders with other experts, solving complex problems, and
doing what I did best. In my mind, doors would open just as easily as they had back home. Why wouldn’t they? I had the experience, I had the knowledge, and I was in the cradle of global technology. I was certain that opportunities were waiting for me—I just had to reach out and grab them.
But that’s not how it went.
The first month flew by in a blur of exploration and initial interviews. The first responses were optimistic, but vague. "We’re interested," they said, "stay in touch." As the weeks went by, that initial enthusiasm started to fade. Responses became more and more spaced out, and eventually, they stopped coming altogether. I sent out my résumé over and over again, to dozens of companies, but the opportunities I had imagined were just illusions.
Back home, people knew me. My work spoke for itself. Here, I was just a small piece in a massive machine. I was competing with thousands, maybe millions of people just as or even more qualified than I was, in a market where my experience seemed to disappear. What used to make me stand out was nothing more than a line on a résumé, lost in an endless sea of applications.
The vastness of this country hit me in a way I hadn’t expected. The skyscrapers that initially seemed majestic now felt like towering walls closing in, reminding me at every step how small I was. What once made me feel big and valuable back home wasn’t enough here. The interviews that had once filled me with hope turned into a repetitive cycle of "We’ll call you" or "You’re in our database," with no real results.
It was like shouting into a void: my voice, my accomplishments, were not being heard. The city, with its constant hustle, felt indifferent to my struggle. I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. If my desire for more had clouded my judgment, making me forget all I had achieved back home. There, in my small country, I was someone. Here, in the biggest country of all, I felt insignificant.
For the first time in a long while, I felt the weight of doubt. Do I really belong here? Or am I just another drop in this ocean of talent?
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