First day I came to this country I was very passionate, excited, and a little scared. We were well off living in New Delhi, but my wife and I worked very hard and we wanted a better life for our kids. I heard that America was the "land of opportunity" so we decided to move out there.

Landing in Detroit Metro, I remember being very anxious. I was traveling with my wife and kids and we were traveling with many cultural items that I knew were foreign to this country. Things such as silver ware, traditional Indian clothing, religious artifacts, and many others. I didn't want to alarm the immigration officials. I remember nervously and almost frantically explaining what each thing was so we get through the process. Despite my nervousness, I somehow knew everything would get sorted out. I didn't even entertain the idea that we would have to turn back. I guess you can say I had a sense of determination to get through. After we were cleared by immigration we found our family and friends and left the airport.

The first thing I remember seeing in America was the Michigan country side and I was almost shocked at just how dull it was. In India I was enchanted by tales of economic opportunity in America and when we came we only saw small houses among corn fields. Then we entered the freeway and I remember being very scared. In New Delhi the roads are almost never orderly and the fastest anyone could really go would be about 70 kilometers an hour. On the Michigan freeway people were traveling at least 80 miles per hour in what looked like fast-paced chaos. I was terrified at how fast everyone was moving, but almost drawn to their efficiency. Every car knew precisely where it was going and there was no unexpected road blocks that are all too common in Delhi. Looking back, the freeway was very representative of my time in this country.