The war-torn streets of Kabul and the hills of the Bega Valley is quite a contrast.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But Samir Seddiqi has now covered both, although with a few stops in different countries and the addition of a couple of children on the way.
He was part of a 40-member group of refugees and migrants visiting the Far South Coast for a weekend from Friday, July 5, where they stayed with local host families and were taken to see some of the sights of the area.
For 12 years Mr Seddiqi worked with the Japanese embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in administration and logistic supplies.
"Sometimes it's really peaceful," he said of an average day in the city.
"There's nothing for a week or a month.
"But then sometimes in a week there's a couple of explosions, or a couple of kidnappings.
"It depends where you live too. If you're far from the city it's really hard to keep yourself safe.
"I lived in Kabul, but it was still not safe for us."
The situation in the city was becoming more dangerous, especially as the Japanese government supported Afghanistan's legal government so employees of the embassy drew the ire of the Taliban.
"We were like an enemy to them," Mr Seddiqi said.
"The security was getting worse, that's why we decided to get out of Afghanistan."
He travelled to Dubai, then Malaysia - where his daughter Kawsar was born - then Indonesia where he stayed for three years before getting to Canberra, arriving in March 2016 and has now been granted permanent refugee status.
While he already has a law degree obtained in Afghanistan, the 36-year-old has begun studying again - businesses this time as he has hopes of starting a construction company - while his wife Mursai is studying health science.
Mr Seddiqi was aware some people questioned why there was a need to flee your home country and become a refugee.
"It's hard to leave your home, truly it is for everybody," he said.
"But if the situation gets tough, then you have to move.
"You have to find out where to go, but it's really important you don't come by boat because maybe you'll drown or something will happen to you.
"You should get asylum and status in a legal way. Don't create a legal issue for yourself."
Albert McKnight
Journalist at Bega District News.
Journalist at Bega District News.
