"Settling into a new country is like getting used to a new pair of shoes. At first they pinch a little; but you like the way they look, so you carry on. The longer you have them, the more comfortable they become." - Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights
I moved from the Philippines to the U.S. in 1994 with my friends, leaving my entire family behind. It was one of the most significant decisions and events that have changed my life, my character and the way I think about things. I grew up in a conservative, close-knit, and deeply religious family. My parents were overprotective of their children. Being the youngest of seven kids, it was really hard for my parents to let me go. I was the baby in the family and had no experience
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Finally, my dream came true. At the age of 24, I was on-board the plane to the U.S. I had mixed emotions leaving my family and the country where I had lived all my life. I was so happy and excited, but sad and scared at the same time. It was my first time to ride a plane, first time to live outside our home, and to travel outside the country. I would be moving to a different part of the world with culture, language, people and climate unknown to me. I would be on my own, no family to support and guide me. But because of my goals and my desire to experience a different kind of life, I shrugged away my fears and uncertainty. The first year of my life here in U.S. was full of challenges and pains. I was missing home a lot, crying almost every night. I experienced what they call a culture shock. English is our second language in the Philippines. However, I had some difficulties comprehending what other people were saying. Americans use a lot of slang words in their speech. They use a lot of phrases or terms derived from the popular movies, TV shows, and sports. We do not play baseball in the Philippines, so expressions like "hit a home run," for example, had no meaning to me. Sometimes, I couldn't understand what they were saying because they spoke fast and with different accents. I felt embarrassed to participate in conversations with fear of being misunderstood or left out. Dealing with the cold weather
Coming to the United States has changed my life. When I was in my country, life wasn't easy for me. My dad used to live in the U.S I was in Dominican Republic. Because my dad was in the U.S it was difficult for me, brother and sister. My mom didn't get pay a lot and food were really expensive. After I came to the U.S I saw a lot change I my life. Many people in my country used to tell me that U.S is one of the best place to live. United States have all the opportunity such as a good education, a lot jobs and easy way to
Until now my experiences in this country had been very special to me. For the first time, I had to be away from my family. I was forced to make every decision without being reliant on the wisdom of elders. For the first time, I saw and spoke to
Coming to the U.S. has changed my life. Since I arrived at the Newark Airport few year ago. This coming to the U.S. has changed my life forever. Going to school in the U.S. was an important change in my life. Learning English and communicating with people made me know many interesting parts of American way of life. For example, I like to watch a history movie with friends or visit a museum with friends. These can helping me improve my knowledge of the American culture and understanding more English. To having something to interesting is made my life to have fun.
As far as I am concerned, moving to the United States has taught me a lot. Indeed, even though I had already come to this country several times before for vacation, there are a lot of aspects that I had not thought about. For instance, its people, their mentalities, the culture, the system especially in education. When I first arrived, I had a hard time transitioning from the French to the American system. In addition, the
There are many significant parts of my life that have had a huge impact on my personality, but there is one that has not only affected me, but has changed me for the better. My personal life changing experience was coming to America. For me, this bridge between my old life and new life is a shaky bridge that I attempted to cross and entered a whole new realm of life which changed everything. The decision about coming to America has taught me how to respect other people, be more responsible, and be more loving towards various friends and families. It has also helped me adapt to the new life that I’m about to begin. It was so unexpected. Out of nowhere my parents broke the news: “We’re going to America!” Living in a big town of Bhopal,
It was my very first time to leave my native land, to migrate to a new country. All I thought about was, that I moving to a better place with a much more superior system. When I first set my foot in this country, I was amazed by the beauty and how developed the U.S. was. I was literally living my dream, and sometimes it seemed impossible to believe, I was living in the most powerful country. Although, I was living my dream until I had to start
I came to US during my 8th grade and that was a life changing moment in my life. It was first time traveling aboard and that also not for a trip but for to permanent settlement. I was nervous my whole time been in the plane that how I will cope up with new environment and with bunch of English speakers. I got more. When it came pilot call for, that it's time to land on the Detroit Airport, tighten your seatbelts and be relax. As soon as the plane landed on American soil, I knew that this was the place where I’d to start a new life. Even though I knew America is the “Land of Opportunity”, everything here seemed so strange to me, the streets, the language and the people that was my first time traveling abroad.
My move from South Korea to the United States was to this day the hardest, most stressful event of my whole entire life. At the age of six, I gave up the comfort of my friends, culture, and home to move to a country halfway across the world. Korea was everything I knew and loved. Having never set foot outside of the country, all my dreams and aspirations were set in Korea. Although I was a fickle child and my goals changed constantly, they all were intertwined with Korea. I was going to become a pianist in Korea and teach piano to students. Another time, I decided I was going to become a math teacher at the school I was attending. My view of the world was limited, but I was happy in my familiar, safe place. My move to America changed my whole perspective.
I was 14-year-old when I left my country to move to America in March 2012. When I heard I was moving to the United States, I was so delighted words cannot even describe how excited I was that day. I remember the night before my trip I could not sleep. I was excited because my whole family was going to be with me. My dad migrated to Florida four years before we came, therefore, I could not wait to see him again.
The process to come to america was really long. My dad spent many months and thousands of dollars to see our futures be as bright as they can be. My sister, my father, and I finally broke the news to our family. Seeing my family so sad was one of the hardest things for me. I knew
I was about nine years old when I first came to the United States from Haiti. Although I was old enough to understand that we were moving, I did not quite understand the importance of the move and why my mom kept referring to America as the land of opportunities. In the beginning, I hated everything, I did not know the language, I missed my friends, I missed Haiti, I missed the familiarity of things. However, my mom constantly reminded me that this is for the best, that our lives have changed for the better. So, I nodded and continued to be unhappy until I started to understand the language, until I started making new friends, until I missed Haiti less and less, and until the United States became home.
In 1992, I emigrated from Somalia to Yemen. I had to adapt a new language, customs, people, and environment.
As I got on the plane I knew my life was changed. The moment when I entered the US it was a new beginning for me. As most migrants would say; this is the land of opportunities, it was totally what I expected.
My experience of moving to the USA included a couple of steps such as preparing, arriving, and adopting. Moving to America was one of the most thrilling and exciting experiences I have ever had in my life. It all started after I graduated from high school. I had always dreamed of going to abroad to study in a better school to be successful in life. My dad was leaving me hints here and there that he was going to send me America for school, but I was sure that it wasn’t going to happen because getting a student visa was tough back then. However, that summer when I saw that letter in my mail from the immigration department of USA for an interview, I was speechless.
Moving to a new house it’s exciting but moving to a new country it’s terrifying. That’s how I felt when I moved here to the states, terrified. Entering unknown land without knowing a sense of English can be very overwhelming at a young age. Leaving my family was definitely one of the hardest thing I’ve experienced because I couldn’t just drive back to visit them. Even though I was only 12 when I moved from Venezuela, that journey has helped me grow and have a better mindset. I get to see things differently and have a different look on life. I would say that it has definitely help me transition from childhood to adulthood. Because moving with new people, learning a new culture and language is something special yet so stressing. At times I find