What does it mean to drop your life and have to start a new one across the sea? Is it exciting or perhaps adventurous?
Before settling in America, life was good as it was mostly about friends and family. Living in a household of comfort and joy and spending most of my time in boarding school.
Based on research from the Internet, America is a diverse country when it comes to culture and living. As a kid, I watched a lot of American movies and series. Moving to this place meant that maybe life would be similar or even equal. The United States is a country that has something called the “American Dream”. The American Dream has come to mean that anyone, no matter where one comes from, can achieve success regardless of age, gender and religion. I really wanted to find out by myself and see the people who have truly achieved it and maybe find out about its merits and demerits of this American Dream.
To pursue this dream meant that I would have to leave everything behind, this included my academic achievements as well. I’ve experienced a period of mixed emotions between being happy or being sad, but I tried not to let it weigh on me too much. Once I set off for the journey, I said my goodbyes to everyone. I was told that I would be on a connecting flight from Uganda to Dubai then to Boston and it took me about twenty six hours which sounds onerous, but with all the services and stuff available, it was a good time.
On reaching Boston, the winter weather really hit me with a cold breeze my body had never experienced before. Back home, it was really warm weather where my friends and I often liked spending time in the sun. It was like the weather that I had seen on TV and social media. My body didn’t really adapt though I was wearing a really heavy jacket; I found myself shivering. My fingers were really cold and my eyes began to tear up which was funny because it wasn’t raining or even snowing so how can a place be this cold?
The next interesting thing was the long highways that weren’t getting anywhere. It took us so long to finally reach home where there was the next interesting thing: the houses are not fenced and don’t have a gate either. If a house did have a fence it was really short and wooden which was meant to keep in the dogs or even simply for decoration.
Back home, the houses and institutions like schools, banks, and government buildings were made of brick and concrete and were fenced while the houses here were made of wood. The idea of houses being so exposed was so disturbing because America is known to the rest of the world for its high rate of crime and the houses weren’t really enclosed which nobody seemed to talk about.
Based on observation, there seemed to be a lot of restaurants as I had always seen on social media and immediately I wanted to try all of them. American delicacies are very repetitive because from restaurant to restaurant it’s the same thing and there are not many restaurants with a signature dish. I prepare my special dishes at home to bring me closer to that comfort though it’s still not as good as at home.
Americans are really polite people and kind, but also really keep to themselves. It took time for me to realize that really sitting down and talking to someone doesn’t mean they are interested in friendship. This was where I heard the phrase “we should hang out sometime” which is funny because back home people were more approachable. Hanging out here is like a doctor’s appointment because one also needs an appointment to hang out as well, which is a good thing because I think the best friendships are the ones that take time to make and are really genuine and longer. So conversation doesn’t mean friendship.
The other small thing that is different is having your address on your identification card, meaning it’s not hard for anyone to easily find you from where you live. Back home, the only people who knew your address were your family, friends and neighbors, not even your workmates. This is something my friends also found disturbing. The next thing is pharmacies being called drug stores which to anyone that isn’t American sounds so wrong.
One of the biggest differences I’ve observed are the insane beauty standards that the teenagers live by. I see that most of the teenagers have a similar look because a lot of things don’t fit in their beauty standards. Based on research most teenagers do not want to reach a certain weight, shaving unnecessary hair like facial hair which I didn’t think existed. Based on that it’s really sometimes hard to tell people apart because they are made to think that it’s best to look a certain way and have a similar look when it comes to clothing and their hairstyles.
The education system is more relaxed than in Africa, one can say it’s even less complicated because assignments can be due in more than two days. The different grades take the same class, you can use your phone while in class, the consequences of skipping class aren’t so strict. Some students interrupt the teachers and only get a timeout. The happiest thing for me was no research because back home this was a mood killer.
Some Americans assume that Africans don’t speak English. Personally, I get asked if I speak English. I think that is a question no one should be asked. Also an average American only speaks English while an average African can speak up to five languages.
The few months I’ve been here have been so lonely, but I’ve stayed strong. I’ve become more appreciative, more independent and even open-minded. Being in a new country doesn’t mean letting go of your past but embracing it and moving on with it because it’s what drives you. I am really looking forward to summer because they say it is when all the fun is and it will actually be warm after all these cold months.
America is not a perfect place and no place is. But they say that “life is what you make it” — a phrase that may not be used here but I’ve always believed in — so perhaps you can make yourself happy anywhere. I’ve had mostly good experiences so far. I am still learning to adjust and learn, but I do miss home very much. As of today I have learned to be a better version of myself while embracing my previous cultures and new cultures.
