The day I went to the US Embassy in Paris for my interview to get my visa and then, I got my green card, I couldn’t believe that I was selected. At first, I was very happy this day and very excited, and at the same time, I was anxious and nervous about the idea that I would leave the place where I lived with my family.

The day when I took a plane to the US; I did not realize fully the challenge I was taking to leave my family, my friends and a lot of other things. This day, I just understood my life would be changed. The day when I arrived in the US, I was very excited to discover NYC and America. When I was young, I had hoped to discover this country. The first thing that surprised me was the skyscrapers, the big cars, the wide roads.  It was all very different compared to Europe.  At the same time, I was sad when I remembered my family, especially my daughter.  It’s very hard. I had a thought about emigrants in the last century, who left their country and their family at a time when it was difficult to come back to visit your family or your country, unlike now with the methods of transportation.

Some things surprised me in a negative way: some streets and areas in the city were dirty. Before I came here, like a lot of people I only knew the United States of America through Hollywood movies. The big difficulty I confronted was the language. It was very difficult in the first days to understand people, especially with an American accent. Now the big challenge awaiting me is to learn more English and to practice, to communicate with people. So, after this, I hope to get a good job and then I will change my life. Maybe the American dream will be realized for me one day.