Moving To A New Country

Moving to a different country brings fear to oneself. You do not know what to expect in the move. Like many you are accustomed to your own country’s way of living, learning, and surviving. A move to a new country would leave most at a stage of fear. Fear as to will they fit in, fear in being able to survive, and fear in being able to adjust to a new way of life.
I was one of those people who were afraid of moving to a new country. My father had started his life in the US at a young age. He was only 14 when he moved here. He had to work at a young age in undesirable jobs to stay alive. He went to school to try and learn english. English was necessary for anyone who wanted a decent job. He overcame the struggles he faced and learned some english.
It was after overcoming the struggles he faced from childhood to adulthood that he managed to maintain a stable life. He wanted me and my brother to have a better future. He saved money for me, my brother and my mom to come the US legally. It took him a while but he made the payment and I was on my way to the US.When realizing i was leaving my ranch and coming to the US,fear grew into me. I was afraid of what was to come. I was so used to being in Mexico in my little ranch, that the thought of living somewhere way bigger created an anxiety i couldn't control.
Our destination was Los Angeles. One of America’s popular cities for migrants. Thoughts raced through my mind. I was worried about if i would make friends, worried as to if i would fit in with others and worried if i would be able to be happy here.
I faced these thoughts of anxiety most when entering school. I was entering into 3rd grade with no knowledge of english. I knew some common words but didn't know any that could help me in school. I didn’t know how to read english or speak it properly. I was so used to my home country’s ways of learning that, the thought of learning english was impossible. I felt i wouldn't be able to adapt to my new life.
My parents were supportive of me to do well in school. They motivated me to try and learn english, but motivation wasn't enough for me to learn english. I needed something else. In class i didn’t know what to do. I couldn't really understand what the teacher was saying . I couldn't ask my classmates because i didn’t know english. So i just sat in my seat and set myself apart from everyone in the classroom. I felt like an outcast in school. When it came to recess i would be alone eating my lunch just watching others have fun. The anxiety i struggled with had taken over. I was lost and didn't feel like going to school.
It was with the help of my 3rd grade teacher Mrs.
Ackerman that i lost my anxiety. It began to lose my anxiety first in the classroom. She had talk to my parents about my progress in school and asked to step in and help. She was bilingual and would be able to help me do better. She began by telling me if i read. I didn’t really like reading. I thought it was a waste of time. She introduced me to my first english book Dr. Seus “ Green Eggs and Ham”. This was the first book i began to read in english.The first time i read it over with my teacher it didn't catch my attention. After reading over the book several times i grew an interest. My teacher gave me the book to take home and practice reading. I did as she said and read at home. I slowly started pronouncing and understanding some words. When i returned to class she went over the book with me , until i could be able to read most of the words. It took time but with the help of my teacher and the book i began learning english. Soon after a week i had read the book alone and moved on to reading a more advanced books. I started loosing my anxiety from that point on. My english knowledge had grown and i began to read more and more. I knew what was going on in class now and what the teacher was saying, however i felt that i wasnt ready to socialize with others yet. I could read and understand english but i couldn't really speak it
correctly. Now my goal was to speak english correctly.
I continued my reading, but in order to speak english properly i needed something other than reading. I payed more attention to my surroundings. I would overhear conversations of others in english. I also began watching tv shows were proper english would be spoken. I did this on a regular basis and over a number of years of practice , i could finally speak proper english. Within those years i became friends with others who faced the same dilemma as me. I grew out of my anxiety and wasn't afraid of talking to my classmates anymore. I made friends of different race. During lunch i wasnt alone anymore i had friends to eat my lunch with. I was comfortable with my new
life. From my experience i learned that with practice you can overcome an obstacle you may face. My obstacle was learning english and adapting to my new life in the US. I struggled with this task in school , but with the help of my teacher Mrs, Ackerman and “Green Eggs and Ham” i overcame my struggle. I overcame the anxiety of moving to a new country and adapted to my new way of life.