Personal Essay: Moving To The States

I never in my life did expect one day to write an essay for the Spanish Travel Scholarship and to write it in English! Fifteen year ago I was a typical Italian architecture student who, beyond doubt, had not yet established her role in the local, national, and global community, or her purpose in life. I spent my college years making my parents proud, and fulfilling teachers’ expectations. Nevertheless architecture wasn’t my college decision. It was my dad’s dream. When I was six years of age, he lost his engineering firm because of a stroke. He reinvented himself various times, after the stroke, but he has never been able to rebuild his engineering firm from the ashes. My architecture degree was his last opportunity to reopen his beloved

I had always dreamed to study in the United States of America since it is an extreme case to a lot of people around the world to have a chance to earn education the USA. I am fortunate to have this chance and I value that extremely. I had many challenges and barriers when I decided to come here to the States but I was very focused to earn a degree from here and I over came them in order to make my dream comes true. When I came here moving with my family to attend college that was the hardest part of moving away from my parents and other members of the family and friends. Back home, I was always known as a very social active person among women groups. I used to participate a lot in women clubs and activities due to women segregation in the society

The plane took off and were in the air leaving the place I had only ever known. I remember when my parents told me and my two brothers that we would be moving to the United states. At the time I didn’t know where we would end up or how we were even getting there. All I knew was I would be in a totally different landscape with a lot of ethnically different people whom I have never met or seen before.

The day was finally here. It was November 11, 1990, the day that our family was to go to ¡®Land Of Liberty.¡¯ I heard so many different things about this country called United States of America and I was warned that it would be nothing you¡¯ve expected. The plane ride did not seem as long as it was; partly because I was lost in my own thoughts with hopes and anxiety. I thought about what I will become in this massive country I was headed and how soon I will adapt to this new culture and people.

On July 11th, 20011, my life was forever changed. In that day, I moved from Congo to the United Sates. It was excitement and fear at the same time, because my life was no longer the same. When I arrived in Atlanta, I realized how much efforts and sacrifices I had to make to adapt the American culture.

My story starts in the year of 2003, when I decided to follow up on my

I walked around unsteadily all day like a lost baby, far away from its pack. Surrounded by unfamiliar territory and uncomfortable weather, I tried to search for any signs of similarities with my previous country. I roamed around from place to place and moved along with the day, wanting to just get away and go back home. This was my first day in the United States of America.

Imagine moving to a totally new country at the age of 16 without parents. Well, my grandma Lise, at the age of 16 moved to America from a little island located in the Pacific Ocean, called Micronesia. She moved to America with an American named Jim, because she was supposed to get married to him and he wanted her to move with him to America. So my grandma and Jim moved to America.

Transitioning from the Democratic Republic Of Congo to the United States was a challenge that my family and I had to overcome. The main reason why we moved was because my father wanted a better life for my siblings and me. My father did not make enough money to pay for our education, food, housing, and other things. With the little money that he did make, he would give some to my mom so she could buy clothes and sell them in order to put food on the table. More often than not my mom was unable to sell anything so, we would go to my uncle's house to see if he could provide us with at least rice to eat with sugar. In my family's eyes, at least, the rice was better than not eating at all. One day, my father's friend called him and told him that there was a lottery game people were playing and if you won, you would be given the chance to go to the United States. My dad was the only one from my family who was allowed to play and after eight months had passed we were informed that we won! We were all so happy and ready to start a new life in America! The new excitement about moving to a better

"Yesenia tu tienes una chispa" said a much older white haired man. At that moment how could a snot nosed brat understand the importance of words coming out of this man's mouth? A big part of me today traces back to words my grandfather so sweetly spoke to me and to the tenderness and love he shared with me. "Yesenia you have a spark" He said it to me I was raised to believe I am unique. The first time my grandfather and I were separated was when my parents made the decision to move to the United States. When you're as young as I was, you don't really understand where you're going or why everyone is crying, or the fact that your life is about to change. Coming to the United States caused chaos in my family. Those first years were hard I wasn't used to an unstable household. Later, my parents divorced that led to hate and

My life in my perspective has been extraordinary. I have been fortunate enough to travel the United States and live in various parts as well. Each environment that I have been exposed to have differed from one another. The environments in which I was raised changes When my father received his orders. then my family and I have to move to another region of the United States. with these experiences, I have been well-rounded to accommodate to my new and unfamiliar surroundings. throughout my life, I've been privileged to see the world through my own eyes instead of reading about it end books and watching it on television. for example, Honolulu, Hawaii 2 people who have never been the entire island is a resort. but in all actuality the island experiences poverty. without me having to move every so often I wouldn't have known that but the experience of knowing that there are a big world out there very productive gains.

In 1996 Angelina was only thirty years old when she first arrived in America. Angelina left behind her 7 other siblings and parents, to start a new life in this unknown country. Before coming to America she lived in a tiny town in Mexico, her life in Mexico was much nicer than her life in America from what she described. Angelina mentioned that one of her biggest passions is cooking, “My sisters and I had our own restaurant, we sold food during the day, and during the night I would go out with friends and buy ice cream or delicious churros.” For Angelina one of the biggest benefits of living in Mexico was being close to her family members, “the whole family would go out on field trips every now and then, my favorite were trips to the beach,

The United States is made up of immigrants. People have been migrating for years trying to obtain the American dream. In other countries people are less fortunate than us here in America. It is hard for them to be successful. It is also hard for them to provide for their families.

We take for granted the luxuries in our life. For many Americans who speak English as their first language, going to the supermarket is no more than a menial chores. To others who’s second or third language is English, going to the supermarket or anywhere public can be a huge task with the risk of embarrassment, or complete confusion. Coming to America is the first steps in many immigrants journey to living a better life. A better life is something the United States is known for; giving anyone the opportunity and resources to become that which they could not in their former life.

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.