Eight years old-that is when my whole life was changed after my family decided to migrate from Egypt to the United States. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the idea that I would be leaving my home and being thousands of miles away from all of my friends and the rest of my family.
As I was growing up in Egypt, family wasn’t merely a concept, it established my whole life. I would spend most of my time with my cousins that ranged from all ages. Some who were much older and wiser than me would teach me many lessons that I could never forget. Others who were much younger, would spend their time with me playing for countless hours. Relationships that were so similar to those of siblings. During special occasions such as birthdays or weddings, I would get to see my distant family such as my second cousins or my parents’ cousins. One would expect that the relationship between us would be awkward and uncomfortable.However, they would still treat me with unwavering love and shower me with gifts. These types of relationships can never be replaced by strangers that have not watched you grow up. Little did I know that being so far away from my family would be what I miss most from my old life. I still remember the sad looks and tears on everyone’s faces as they dropped us off at the airport.
It was now time to start my new life in a foreign country. My first memory of arriving here in the US is as soon as my family and I stepped outside of the airport. Everything in my new environment seemed brighter and the air smelled pungent. I felt a surge of excitement, longing for my cousins to share in this exciting new chapter of my life.
A month or so later, I started school. I dreaded my first few months as I was not able to communicate with any of my classmates or my teachers. Even though the teachers tried to be understanding, I couldn't help but feel like I didn't quite fit in. It was like I was on the outside looking in, as they'd often pull me aside for lessons that felt watered-down compared to what the rest of the class was learning. This only seemed to underline the differences between me and my classmates, making me feel even more isolated. This still led me to confusion as many of the assignments encouraged critical thinking. However, my education in Egypt was based on a structured affair, as it included memorization and strictly adhered to the curriculum. Aside from the confusion which was brought on, I enjoyed having the freedom of exploring my interests and expressing my newfound freedom.
Despite the language barrier between my classmates and I, many welcomed me and helped me with my school work and advancing my vocabulary of the English language. I encountered many differences in lifestyle as I got to know people who have lived their lives in the US and I tried to adapt to such differences in order to try and fit in. My parents would encourage me when I was feeling down due to my frustration of not being able to communicate with my new friends and feeling like they would always be better than me in that aspect.
As the days went by, my life became more enjoyable as I made new friends and would spend time with them after school. I also would find myself to explore many new opportunities such as joining a swim club. Every day would bring on a new challenge in which I would triumph. Although my life was not pleasurable after being completely reconstructed, I was able to accept that the change was for me to live a life in which I could explore my freedom and effectively succeed as I will be able to choose my own career doing something that I enjoy.
To this day, I am still influenced by my old life in Egypt and have accepted that my differences don’t cause me to be an outcast, but they develop my character. One thing that I still miss is seeing my family almost every day and having countless memories made with them. Although I still see them almost every year, I realized that our relationship has immensely changed from what it once was. I see that they all still have that special bond as they all continued to grow up together. I still maintain a good relationship with my cousins and their unconditional love and support still inspire me to be the best version of myself.
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