He was wrong.

The first snow was beautiful. Pictures were taken. Messages sent home. But beauty fades quickly when routine sets in. Days became shorter. Sunlight disappeared early. Streets emptied faster than expected.

What shocked him wasn’t the cold — it was the withdrawal.

People stopped lingering. Conversations became efficient. Neighbours disappeared indoors. Even greetings felt optional. Weekends stretched endlessly, quiet and heavy.

Back home, hardship came with noise.

Here, difficulty came without witnesses.

There were days he didn’t speak to anyone outside work. Entire weekends passed with no human interaction beyond screens. That’s when loneliness stopped feeling emotional and started feeling physical.

Winter taught him something nobody prepares migrants for:

mental health abroad doesn’t always break loudly.

Sometimes it erodes quietly.

And the most dangerous loneliness is the one that looks peaceful from the outside.