Emigrating means starting from scratch, discovering new opportunities, and adapting to a different life, but it also involves confronting emotions that are not always easy to articulate. This is how Sabrina Campuzano, a Cuban who has been living in Italy for a year and five months, recounted her experiences, where she has faced moments of happiness, nostalgia, and sadness, especially when remembering her family in Cuba.
In a video shared on TikTok, the young woman recounted her experience since arriving in the European country with her husband. During her first year, she lived in Artena, a municipality in the province of Rome, and is currently residing in Ravenna.
One of the moments that impacted her the most was something as ordinary as entering a supermarket and finding the shelves filled with products. An image that, far from bringing her only joy, stirred mixed feelings in her as she reflected on the struggles her loved ones on the island continued to face.
"One of the things that struck me the most was entering the supermarkets and seeing so many items, because when I left Cuba, there were already many shortages, like electricity and water," he recalled.
"Being here, having so many things while my family remained there caused a mix of feelings that is difficult to explain," Sabrina confessed, reflecting the contradiction of enjoying a life with greater comforts while her relatives continue to face shortages in Cuba.
But the adaptation was not marked solely by nostalgia. The climate also posed a challenge for the Cuban, who was used to the sun and warm temperatures of her homeland.
She explained that the cold, gray days of the Italian winter began to affect her emotionally. "There were days when I didn't even feel like getting out of bed," she admitted.
In the midst of those difficult moments, her husband became her main support. Sabrina emphasized that he has been by her side at all times, encouraging her and helping her even with the simplest tasks when she was not feeling well.
"He has been my greatest support here, the person who has been with me from the moment I wake up until I go to bed, giving me strength, encouraging me, and even accompanying me on my toughest days," she expressed. She also recalled that, when she lacked the energy even to cook, her partner took care of that for her.
Little by little, the young woman has been building her new life. She has worked, learned Italian, and had the opportunity to visit places like Rome, Turin, Naples, Puglia, Calabria, and Tuscany. She currently lives in Ravenna, where she continues to adapt to this new phase.
Her experience is reminiscent of that of other Cuban women who have shared what it's like to start anew in Italy. Some, even after many years away from the island, acknowledge that the nostalgia for Cuba never disappears.
After a year and five months in Italy, Sabrina acknowledges that she has learned to coexist with those emotions and to appreciate the opportunities she has, all while still missing those who remain in Cuba.
“Today, after a year and five months here in Italy, I have learned that I can be grateful for the life I am building while still missing my family dearly,” she reflected.
And she concluded her testimony with a phrase that summarizes what it has meant for her to start a new life away from home: “Behind every beginning, there is a story that is not always visible”.
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