Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/141342
from our staff Bittersweet Land of Liberty Imagine leaving your family and a place you love. Imagine leaving all that you know behind in pursuit of your dream—or just your continued existence. I can't, but here in Madison you can find many women who have actually lived those experiences, and I am moved to tears by their stories. In "New Country, My Home," on p. 35, Associate Editor Meagan Parrish introduces us to six Madisonians from around the world whose personal journeys have brought them here to find a better, safer, more fulfilling—or simply a different—life here. As an international studies student in college, Parrish envisioned herself becoming a foreign correspondent who would travel the world reporting on war zones, genocide and other atrocities. Today, a travel junkie at heart with a penchant for reporting, she's kept that intense interest and innate curiosity about people, places and their unique stories—characteristics that helped her connect with the women and draw out their highly personal journeys from homeland to here. "I don't think I'm unique in having a curiosity about people from around the world," says Parrish. But she does have unique insight into the emotional aspects of these women's journeys. Parrish's husband, Dmitry Dikavitski, emigrated from Belarus 14 years ago at age 19 to work a seasonal job. Now with two young daughters, Parrish says of their family life: "I am part of that process of resettling, it's part of my life." Through her husband, Parrish has become part of the local Eastern European community, embracing the strong support network and family they've built among friends who, too, find themselves here, while their kin are far away. For Parrish's husband, and for many of the women in her story, she says, coming to Madison was bittersweet. They are grateful– all—for the opportunity to live here, and for the kindness and community they've found. And yet, there remains a lingering yearning for the place they first called home. And I am grateful to them—for making the journey; for joining the Madison melting pot, enriching our city's cultural landscape; and for simply telling their stories, which has enriched my own perspective on this vibrant and free place I am so lucky to call home. Kate Bast Editor-in-Chief Follow us! bravamagazine.com Sign up for our CUE e-newsletter at BRAVAmagazine.com. You'll get first word of BRAVA news, special event invitations, exclusive BRAVA offers and can participate in our monthly opinion poll. k WIN A $100 Cornblooms gift certificate! See details p. 16. 8 BRAVA Magazine July 2013 Don't Miss the BRAVA Raves & Faves Poll! Visit BRAVAmagazine.com in early June and cast your vote for Madison's best. Fully complete your survey and it'll be entered into a drawing for some pampering with a gift card to The Ultimate Spa Salon. Mark your calendars! Find inspiration at DreamBank this month: the gals from Cherry j y ul Blossom Events are speaking about inspired gatherings on a budget. See details in the cover story, "Star-Spangled Social," p. 47.