Life gives us many turns, many roads to follow, and we never know when we will get them, where we have to go or for how long. We never know where we will be, with whom, and what language we will speak. I had never imagined that what happened to me and my family eight years ago was even possible. I was born in Romania (Europe), and I had lived there for fourteen years. In August 1995, we found out the news that changed our lives forever. We had played the lottery to win the right to come to the United States legally, and we won it. Almost one year later, on July 1996, we were on a plane on our way to the United States. I really thought at that point, that everything was only a dream. My family and I did not realize what we have done. We left our family, house, jobs, school and everything behind and moved to the United States. Now, after eight years, I realize it is not a dream anymore, and I am happy that it came true.

There are many reasons that make a person want to set roots in a different world. I was too young to understand back then what our reason was, but now I certainly do. It was about having a second chance at life, about prosperity, opportunity and a better future for me and my brother. Each immigrant has his/her unique story; they are very diverse and demonstrate the complexity of our lives. I would like to tell all the foreigners, to never give up, no matter how hard and frustrating everything gets when you come to this country. Always have faith and be patient, because, I promise you, in the long run everything will work out and it will be worth it.

Language, what a powerful word! Language can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or just a simple truth. It is a strong way for communicating thoughts, feelings and dreams. Before I came to this country, the only language I knew was Romanian. It is how I have learned the meaning of words, names and everything. Romanian is the language of my soul; it is what I cherish. I am proud to be Romanian and my native language is what ties me to my country, to my culture and to who I am.

As different races mix and collide in the American melting pot, one of the most important issues, but the hardest too, is bound to be language. Among all the new tasks a foreigner has to perform when coming to a new country, learning the language is certainly the most difficult. It takes so much effort and so much pressure. For me, learning the language when I came here was the biggest culture shock. Moving to a new country and not knowing the language can be a big barrier that limits many things. It limits the possibility to get a job right away, to go to school, to understand the culture in that country and to be able to communicate with people. I struggled because I did not speak English and, as a consequence, that prevented me from being understood.

It was frustrating not to speak English. When I came here, I had to start high school right away. I am not sure I would like to remember how high school was for me then. As soon as I walked in the school I was completely lost and scared. I would have tried to speak with just anyone, but the problem was that I could not. The first two years were very difficult. I was here in an English speaking country, I had to communicate, but I did not know how. I remember sitting in my classrooms and not being able to comprehend anything. But, definitely, I had an Angel watching over me. Everyone in my classes was an English native speaker, with the exception of one person. That person spoke Romanian. I would like to take this opportunity and say THANK YOU for the difference the person made in my life. Even to this day, I think how lucky I was to have met someone else my age that went to the same school, took the same classes with me and, of course, spoke my language.

I was frustrated and it was difficult not being able to understand and speak English. I was overwhelmed by the most basic tasks in life. It was hard to introduce myself to people, it was hard to make a phone call and tell the person why I called. It was difficult to read the mail, go to the bank, or even to the grocery store. Many times, I felt like everything was impossible. I wanted to give up on trying, but I could not. I felt that the way I was speaking affected the quality of my message. People did not give me credit for at least trying to speak. They judged me as soon as I opened my mouth. No one cared to listen to what I was trying to say, to the meaning, they paid more attention to how I sounded. A lot of times, I felt like I had some sort of handicap.

People will expect you to speak and learn the language fast and correctly. This process of learning will take time and one has to get used to the language, to how it sounds and to how it is spoken. If you feel the need, ask or look for help. You have to be patient; it will take few years until you can speak the language fluently. You have to try and speak it, as bad as you might sound, all it takes is practice. The only way you will learn is by making mistakes. You will make many of them, recognize those mistakes, laugh at them, and learn from them. Pay attention to how the words are spoken and written and learn them correctly. Use dictionaries, or books, or just ask. What helped me a lot was watching TV and reading newspapers. Getting involved, talking and being around English native speakers will force you to talk, to see if you understand what is happening around you and to practice. Many times you will feel that it is impossible to ever speak English, to learn it.

It was a tough process, but it is worth it now. I really value English for that. Speaking the language of the country you are in is like a form of survival, it helps understand and tolerate the culture behind it. It opens many doors. Being bilingual is marvelous. It is a tremendous advantage being bilingual in the language as well as in the culture. It means accepting differences between the two and it means having a connection with its people. Of course, maintaining your native language will always be really important. No matter how many languages one person speaks, the mother tongue will always be something that you feel and the sound of it will always express the picture in your mind. It is a great advantage to be bilingual or even multilingual. It gives the power of being able to unite in one person more than just one point of view.

Language is like a tool of trade. I am happy and honored to be here in the United States. I am grateful because I went through such an amazing experience which made me a different person in many aspects, and opened my mind for a lot more. I learned a new language, experienced a different culture and now I combine everything in one, ME.

I wrote my story as an immigrant in this country, for an immigrant audience. Also, it can be intended for the native speakers of English. Each immigrant has a unique story. One thing we all have in common is learning English. For the immigrant audience, I hope reading this will help make a difference in some way in the adaptation process. ALWAYS remember that someone else went through the same experience you did. For the native speakers of English, I wanted to let you know how it is to be a foreigner in this country, to learn English in order to survive and to have a perspective of different things and experiences that this life can offer when you least expect them.