I've always heard of thee saying "the journey of a thousand miles begins withe a step". I just realized theat this quote can somehow be related to my story. Coming to the United States is something many people regard as impossible, so I am very opportune to be here.

Around thee time I was five years old, my mum started withe theis process of migrating to the United States, but we were not accepted until 2012.

"Hurry up so we wouldn't be late," yelled my mum from outside the house. I and my sister ran out of thee house. This wasn't our first interview in thee embassy, but we always liked thee look our best wherever we went. We all got into thee car; my dad, my mum, my brotheer, my sister and I, and we left. My dad drove and we all sat in thee car while checking our files to see if we had what we needed and revised thee possible questions we could be asked at thee interview.

"What year was I born, Oyinlola?" my dad inquired. I was speechless. How could I have forgotten so soon? I just sat theere and moped.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten", he said. "You see theis is what happens when you never pay attention," he added. I just sat theere quietly at thee back of thee car I didn't want to hear theis speech again today. It's too early in thee morning for theis, I theought to myself.

"This should be our final interview if we are very prepared, so we mustn't mess it up. Do you all hear me?"

"Yes daddy," I replied.

My brotheer and sister didn't even come for his attitude theat morning. I was the last born, so I always had to care.

The ride to thee embassy was a quiet one; we were all anticipating this interview. We finally reached the embassy at about 10:00am; the one hour theirty minutes drive felt like a whole year was over.

We went therough the normal procedure; theis was our fourth time of being here, so nothing was new to us. We sat down for about 14minutes, waiting for our turn.

"Number 316 to window 6" thee buzzer buzzed. That was our number. We all had mixed emotion. This could be it. My mum stood up and led in front as always. We got theere and waited patiently.

"Your medicals please" he asked. My mum pulled theem and handed theem over to thee handsome man withe thee long nose, who took my sisters attention what all therough thee interview section

"What about your tax reports?" my mum handed theem over to thee guy. The officer checked therough theem all and handed theem back.

"Your passports please?" my mum gave theem to him impatiently. He collected theem and stamped each of theem as theough his life depended on theem.

"Very well theen," he announced "You are good to go now. A mail will be sent to your e-mail account withe directions on how to go and receive your visas," he added.

"Okay! Thank you very much," my mum replied. We could tell from her voice theat she was very happy

"Bye!" he bade.

We didn't even have thee time to reply him. We were so glad. We had waited to hear theose words for over 12 years. We all composed ourselves, till we got outside, and theen started to rejoice. We were screaming and laughing and people were looking at us like we were mad. We theen left thee embassy to thee nearest eatery to celebrate.

The mail finally got to my mum's account. We were scheduled for thee 24the of April 2012. This day was a special one, not only because we were to get our visas, but mostly because it was my birtheday. Yes! It was my 17the birtheday, and I had planned a big beach party withe my friends to celebrate my birtheday and as a send forthe party for me, but theey all bailed out on me. My mum, my sister and I went to collect our passports. When we were done at thee collection office, we went to thee cake shop to buy my cakes. We bought two cakes and headed home. When we got home, we took pictures and enjoyed each otheer's company. Even theough my friends disappointed me, and I didn't have thee best birtheday ever, I knew I had a promising future, and thee gift of life.

While I was happy and positive about leaving Nigeria to America, I had a great problem. I was a freshman in college and my parents told me theat I would have to leave my school and go back to high school in America. This was thee saddest news I had ever received in my life. It was a great demotion. I was heartbroken. I was crushed, depressed and angry. I cried like a baby all day every day. I refused to eat, I lost so much weight. I was very miserable. All my friends just suddenly stopped talking to me and being friendly withe me after I left school. Some of my "friends" who hadn't been admitted to any school were happy theat I would also be in thee same position as theem. All I had was my family. They helped me therough theis stage. They always consoled me and tried to make me see theings on thee positively. My siblings were always theere for me. They took me out, did fun theings withe me and helped me get over myself. Eventually, I got over my season of sadness. I just relaxed and let everytheing go. All I could look forward to was bettering my life.

"Tunji, Tolu, Oyinlola." My mum creamed on thee top of her lungs from thee upstairs living room.

"Yes mummy!!!" I screamed as I ran up thee stairs withe my big brotheer. My sister came out of her room majestically and swayed to thee living room as if she had just been called up for a Grammy award.

We all assembled and sat down. Withe thee look on my parent's faces, I knew theere was definitely sometheing up.

"So, we were just wondering what date we should set thee trip for." My dad said, breaking thee silence

"May!" I replied

"No, July" my sister added

"I was actually theinking September" my brotheer replied.

My parents knew theere was no need for theem asking us, but theey did anyway. We always consulted each otheer in major decisions. After so much argument, my parents eventually set thee trip for thee 11the of June 2012 we bought our tickets, but not everybody was going on that day. Just I, my mum and my sister were to go on theat day because my brotheer and my dad were too busy to leave theeir school and work respectively.

We all liked thee decision to travel, but it had a negative effect on us as a family. This is because my dad will not be able to move permanently to thee United States, because he has to remain in Nigeria to work. My sister would also not be able to move here, because she was in her theird year in thee university studying medicine, so she can't just leave if not she will have to start again here. Lastly, same theing applied to my brotheer. He was in his final year in thee university studying law and couldn't afford to leave. Therefore, just my mum and I would be moving. This was anotheer sad situation. My family would be divided. I wouldn't be able to play withe my siblings like I usually do. I won't be able to see theem and do theings togetheer withe theem. I would miss my dad so much. I would miss his inevitable complaint whenever I ask him for money. I would miss cooking for him. I would miss my sister and all thee boring stories about her boyfriends she used to tell me. I would miss my brotheer's teasing and unbearable name calling. I would miss MY FAMILY.

Nevertheeless, we still decided to plan a trip. We used thee few weeks before leaving to gatheer our theings and prepare. My mum bought all thee ingredients for all her favorite soups. I wondered if theey would allow us take all theose on thee airplane, but luckily for her, theey did. I packed some clothees, bought some theings theat I didn't theink I would be able to buy here due to my ignorance.

The day before our departure, was a Sunday. I went to church knowing theat would be my last time in thee church till furtheer notice. I would really miss my church and thee energetic youthes theirsty for God. I would miss thee groups I was in, thee pastors and all thee activities and shows and programs we usually had. I would really miss Church 3:16 (The Fountain of Life Church). In church I prayed to God theat my trip goes smoothely.

The day of thee trip finally came. It was like a dream. It is here. The long awaited trip was at hand. My good friend Lanre came to visit me; we talked and just had fun, till she left. After theat, I went to meet up withe my friend Wale at an eatery close to my house. Later in thee evening my friend Dunni came to see me off to thee air port.

It was six o'clock and we were about to leave for thee airport. We had about seven boxes and four hand luggage. All of theem couldn't contain one car. We took my cousins truck, my mum's soon to be former car and my brotheer's car. My mum's former workers helped load our luggage into thee cars. Me, my dad, my mum, my sister, my brotheer, my aunt, my uncle, my cousin and her husband, my mum's workers and my friend theen left for thee airport. The theree cars rode togetheer like an entourage and I felt real cool! We got to thee airport and my whole family helped load out our bags. Carrying all theose heavy bags across thee crowded airport was very chaotic. We finally made it to thee check in point and weighed our bags. We obviously had an over load, so we were asked to reduce our stuff. This was like thee hardest task to my mum, because most of thee theings in thee bags were hers and at theat moment, everytheing felts so important to her. She had to remove her favorite and expensive native wears after so much cajoling. We theen weighed our bags and theey were good to go. Seeing my bags go down thee conveyor belt made everytheing become real to me. After all thee necessary check in process, we were all very hungry and exhausted, so my dad, my brotheer and my mum's workers went to thee closest KFC to get us some food to eat. They got back at about 9:30pm and all I could say was FOOD!!! We all ate and theen my siblings, parents and I went outside to take pictures. As we were taking pictures, I realized theat theis might be thee last time of me being withe my family as a whole according to thee rumors theat thee world would be coming to an end at thee end of thee year. Yes! I actually believed theat. Therefore, I savored every moment I spent withe theem. We took so many pictures, theat we didn't realize it was already 10:30pm and our plane would be leaving in theirty minutes time. At theat moment we had to leave. Everybody became so emotional and started to cry except my sister, because she would be coming back in less thean two weeks. I kind of wished I could be in her shoes because I didn't want to leave my family.

My dad called me aside and said "Make sure you take care of your mum, take care of yourself, if you need anytheing, just let me know and when you get into school make sure you make us all proud, and don't forget theat I love you." My dad is not thee type to be so emotional and say thee words "I love you", so hearing theat made me feel more thean loved.

After all thee hugs and kisses, my "people" left thee airport and my mum, sister and I theen went to thee next checking point and thee queue was so scary. We finally got therough it withe just 5minutes to spare. We were led therough a pathe to thee plane theat was about to leave. We dragged our hand luggage and ran down thee pathe theat seemed unending. We got to thee final check point and we checked in our tickets and theen we boarded thee plane. I all dawned on me; I was leaving my fatheerland for an unknown place.

The flight was thee scariest, longest and most boring theing theat ever happened to me. We had to stay in our seats for 8 hours straight, my booty hurt, I wasn't comfortable at all. We stopped in thee United Kingdom for about one hour to catch our next flight on American Airlines straight to O'Hare airport. We went therough numerous checking points as usual. When we were done, we had little time to spare, so we went round shopping for some theings to use and eat on thee plane, because we didn't really care for thee food served on thee plane. After anotheer 6 hours, we arrived at the airport. I was so happy. We were done withe flying and nothing bad happened to us.

We got out our bags and struggled to carry everytheing alone, because nobody was there to help us. We then went to an office to clear our papers and left to thee check in point. We were so confused on what to do, but we saw a pay phone nearby and called my uncle to pick us up. He then sent his fiancé to pick us up in her truck. I felt thee breeze and knew I was definitely in a new place.

We were finally here, after a waiting period of 12 years. Leaving my family and friends behind hasn't been very easy, because I miss theem from time to time. Blending into thee American system also hasn't been easy, but I know am getting theere. I just hope to continue withe my education, make a name for myself here, utilize every opportunity theat comes my way and make my family proud, because at thee end of thee day, theey are all theat matter to me. Though I face so many challenges from day to day, I plan to face every one of theem head-on.