Immigrating across the ocean wasn't too hard. It's what comes after the move that can either give you amazing opportunities, or give you a kick in the stomach, even if your already down.
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✰ RISING...
We now live in Lansing, Michigan, in the United States of America. I'm not sure if moving here was a blessing or a punishment from my god, Allah. But if there is one thing I'm sure about, it's the fact that where I live can't change who I am, because I know for a fact that I am still Samira Ahmad, the girl I always was, am, and will be.
Baba and Iman went to go examine our new American apartment, and Mama and I decided it was important to also go for new home supplies, like dishes and furniture. We even went shopping for food, and when we asked the American cashier for some bread, he handed us a strange fluffy rectangular-shaped object that was way softer, and whiter than our bread back home. The so-called 'American bread' had a strange, soft taste to it, unlike anything I had ever tasted.
Iman and I both bed to take English lessons and my tongue began to feel more comfortable speaking English. We weren't anywhere close to mastering the language, and I had just learned to explain my thoughts. Iman and I also began to learn how to read and write short, simple sentences in English, and I even started to practice writing short paragraphs in my free time.
As time flew, Lansing started to slowly feel more like a second home. We began to explore American cuisine and even tried classic vegetarian American foods like tater tots, french fries, cheese pizza, apple pie, and even key lime pie, which I didn't quite enjoy. It was strange, but fun, to see the way Americans used different ingredients to create interesting dishes.
Each day quickly passed without much thought, and my family was starting to get used to living in America, and how things worked here, until, the first day of school came around.
I had never really thought of how American schooling would be like, mainly because even as a fifteen-year-old girl, I thought the schooling we had in the middle east was the same as everywhere else in the world. Ha. But I abundantly wrong.
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I didn't even have the slightest clue on what to bring for the first day of the American school, so I just grabbed my old, empty school bag, and an old notebook filled with random doodles and notes from school back in Dubai.
We still didn't have a car here in Lansing... so I had to ride a bus to school. I stood outside, waiting for the small vehicle to appear, but instead, a large, bright yellow rectangle decided to drive up to our front porch, uninvited.
"Welcome! Are you Samra Amad?" a tall, red-haired woman sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle said, pronouncing my name incorrectly and in a terrible accent, which hurt me a little, especially since I wasn't used to it growing up in a strong Arab community.
"No, I am Samira Ahmad." I corrected.
"Isn't that what I just literally said?" the woman asked, obviously confused. I shook my head. The woman examined the paper she was holding, then examined me with a puzzled look on her face, "Well... take a seat anywhere."
I tried to find a seat where nobody was sitting, but because of my unfortunate luck, all seats were taken. I had to end up sitting next to a tall brunette wearing a very short shirt, and very short jeans that barley covered her legs.
"Girl, how are you not sweating?" she questioned me, looking at my clothing. I was wearing a simple blue long-sleeved tunic, casual black jeans, and one of my one thousand two hundred twenty-seven plain black hijabs, and that left only my hands and face for the rest of the world to see.
"Where my family comes from, this weather is very cold," I answered, my voice still heavily accented.
"Oh, okay. I'm Morgan Myers." she smiled.
"I am... Sami." I hesitated, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
"You new here Sami?" Morgan asked.
"My family moved," I replied.
Morgan seemed very interested in my past, so she asked, "From where?"
I smiled, happy that she wanted to get to know me, "Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates."
"Ooh! The place with that very very very tall tower?" she asked.
"Uh... yes. Burj Khalifa." I corrected.
"Barg Halipha? Well, welcome to Lansing, Sami!" Morgan burst.
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