When I landed in America, I was 5 months pregnant and hadn’t seen my husband in several months. I had waited a long time to get the green card that would allow me to enter the United States, where my husband was already living for many years. After I landed at 3:00 PM that day, I went straight to immigrations. I was anxious as I had yet to know what to expect from the land I was entering and the American English accent was not one that I was used to. Not to mention- it’s just hard to go through this process with jet lag and a baby. Since it was so late by the time I cleared immigration, my husband took me straight home. When I saw him, the happiness I had filled me. I had been his wife for three years but lived my day to day without him. The path to gain access to this country was not an easy one. Thankfully the day I came, it was a beautiful spring day and the roads of Michigan were enchanting. There were no animals and it was silent compared to the roads in Odisha. The greenery of the woods and the fields on the way were also mesmerizing. When we reached my husband’s apartment, I was completely exhausted. I settled into what I could now call my own. Though I was tired, I remember just taking in my new home. The carpet everywhere, the odd set up of the kitchen- it was all so different than what I was used to. My husband made me a traditional Odia dinner; a comfort in an otherwise unfamiliar day. We talked for a little bit, but I went to bed soon after. My first day in America wasn’t particularly eventful, however, it was a day that was a pivotal moment in my life.
* The contributor of this story has asked that their name be withheld.
