Personal Narrative: My Journey To America

Coming to America about six years ago and adapting to the new world proved to be a real challenge for me. Aside from the cultural shock, I had to adapt to the usage of a foreign language in almost everything, which in turn forced me to work harder in my studies than in the previous years. My parents sacrificed a lot for their family. They left their country, their own business, and their family behind so that my sisters and I could have a better future. I came to America when I was in the eighth grade. I did not speak English fluently or understood it very well. When I got the admission in middle school my counselor gave the course selection sheet. I did not even know what courses to pick because the courses were almost alien in nature, or

The year of 2014 late summer I came to America with dreams and hopes, expecting the better for me and my family. I have family that had came before me; however they weren't that respectful for someone that had been living in Mexico their whole life. I used to get put down by the way I looked, talked or how I acted. I recall that they would talk in english about me , and make fun of me , so I wouldn’t understand what they were saying. I have cousins that don't even appreciate all the sacrifices that one as a parent has to make , so they are able to give a better life for their kids. On the good side of the story I would always keep in mind how I came here? thanks to who?and why?. So I realize that I fitted in the Hispanic community by attending to Hispanic events, playing soccer, and cooking hispanic food.

I was sitting in the back of the taxi in Ukraine. The car moved and I began to see the one I love fade into the gray night fog. I will never forget the feeling I had during that moment. Like something was being ripped from my heart - a moment of great despair as I leave both my family and my country.

The battles of a young lady fitting into a new life, another world. An adventure meeting new companions, encountering another culture, and training. Blerina Aliu came to America from Kosovo. Just like Christopher Columbus, she came to a new world. Blerina Aliu, a student from James River High School, talks about her time in Kosovo. Kosovo is a state in Southeast Europe. In 2013, she moved to the U.S. with her family. “What was life in Kosovo?” “The food is cheap and wonderful. Everyone is friendly, and wherever individuals welcome you and ask how you are or attempt to help you in case you're a visitor.” “How was school life?” “I lived in a village where I farmed. My school was in another village, and my nation doesn’t have a school transport, so I

I recall the day I first came to United States of America. I was in New York airport, looking everywhere and felt like I was in a totally strange place, which was complete with strangers. All I could understand was people’s ' buzzing. At that time, I digested that I was finally in America, then my heart started to beat fast. Until December the 9th, 2015 I had never been that far away from my country, Rwanda. For ages, I grew up up being surrounded by people who used the same dialect or language as me. Overhead all, language barrier was the major concern. First a few days, I was like a breathing sculpture who could not hold a conversation for 1 min in English. It wasn’t just for my poor English but also because I didn’t have the confidence I

I was born in Havana, Cuba and lived there for ten years. If I am honest I cannot remember much about Cuba unlike my mother; however even though I cannot remember much I always used to think that Cuba was home regardless of how long we stayed in America. Similar to most children I took after the actions of my parents while growing up. If my mother and grandmother spoke about Cuba or any topic related to it I would listen to them and then I tried to have the same conversation with my uncle as if to let them know that I was thinking about Cuba as well. I used to believe that when we flew over to America we brought Cuba with us and that was a normal thing; however my thinking was changed over the course of only one year in America.

For the past sixteen years, my father had always told me and my family that we were going to be relocated to the United States of America, but for some reason it never really happened. At this point, moving had become second nature to me but it was always in India. As my dad moved up the corporate ladder, I had moved to five different states in India before I moved to Maryland. But when my dad told us again that we were going to move to America, no one believed him.

When I first came to Boulder, I lived in the dorm of our university, and I have this roommate who comes from Britain. She was really mean to me all the time and didn’t respect me at all, while I’ve tried my best to be as nice as I could. Since we shared one bedroom and of course the bathroom, she always went home really late in midnight and sometimes even brought her friends directly into the bedroom and woke me up from sleeping.

It was cold November afternoon when I dragged myself out of the plane and took my first step on the American soil. Moving to America was my greatest adventure and my biggest fear. Having never traveled to a foreign country before I was intrigued about the culture, religion and style of living, It was an exciting experience for me, yet at the same time, I was terrified. I was curious to learn about the culture and the country itself which I heard in abundance on television. What will it be like? Will I be able to fit in the American lifestyle? Will I be able to make friends? The questions were unanswered until I had to experience it on my own.

Nobody likes moving at least I know I don't. We we're living in India and I was in fifth grade when we moved. We moved into our house in India when I was one year old. Was going great I had a lot of friends. My best friend was my neighbor every day after school we would go to a park in our colony.

When we moved to america we didn't know where to start or where to go. It took us a while to settle in our little town. But after a while we were just doing what we normally did, until this man named michael gladwell. He asked us stuff like “What do you eat on a normal basis”, or “How often do you exercise. We answered honestly.

“Take this, and start learning english” is what my sister whilst giving me a book with pictures and english words. My family had recently decided to bring me to Florida. They thought it would be better to go to America knowing some english, rather than none. I never did study the book; learning english as a foreigner without any previous knowledge was a little difficult, for an seven year old.

Headed down County Line Road in pure darkness. We cannot see one hundred feet in front of us, and the roads are completely abandoned. Snow is falling from the sky at a steady pace, and the temperature is rapidly dropping. My life rests in my brother’s hands as he attempts to drive us to safety on this frigid winter night. He assures me everything will be fine, and I shall not worry. All I can do is sit back and pray.

In the bitter cold of Canada’s winter, my father and I traveled through the woods on a task. This Christmas our task was to put a little change in the world, so we made supply bags to give to the needy. These bags comprised of blankets, canned food, water, and an inflatable pillow. My father woke me up before dawn to start the trip to the town. This trip took ½ a day on a cart behind a horse, but since the snow fell early it would take us twice as much time. We followed the elongated dirt road deep into the night. Here we came upon our first trial.

up the phone and rang my Tom’s father to thank him, and for me and Tom