my life would be completely different if we A. never moved here and B. didn't stay due to the political climate. It was originally just a 4 year stay that would have ended when i was 12. That alone shaped me tremendously but being forced to stay and seek asylum after those 4 years also had major ripple effects. No clue what my life would be like if either of those things hadn't happened. Most of my closest friends would not be in my life that's for sure. Never would've met my wife or had our child either. But beyond that, I think I'd be a different person altogether from the experiences I would have had.