“Thank you.”
“Okay.”
“Hello.”
I was only 10 years old and those were the only three words I knew when I came to America. When I came to New York it was like the things I imaged, skyscrapers, when it turns dark the city keeps itself bright with its fantastic colors. My family bought a place on Brighton Beach, a Russian neighborhood where we would fit right in. I was told to go to school and learn the English language, cultures, and any historical events that went on in America. I didn’t know anyone. I was introduced to the school with a warm welcome by the principal himself. He walked me to my class where there were many kids and one teacher teaching many subjects (Social Studies, English, Math, and Science). The teacher took me in and introduced me to the class and she has also mentioned that I was a foreign exchange student from Ukraine. Many greeted me but yet I still didn’t understand the English language till 6th grade. I was seated next to a boy, named Nikolay, who also knew English and Russian which could also help me understand English faster and better with a Russian translation. He helped me a lot and then we mostly became friends and he also introduced me to his friends which made excited in a short period of time. I had news to tell my parents on what happened on the first day of school when I get seated for dinner.
Now when learning English and the history of America I was told that Americans celebrate what’s called Fourth of July. I’ve learned this from my teacher back in Ukraine. Now, that’s when fireworks, loud noises, and everything is beautiful of Fourth of July, especially in New York. I still live in a Russian neighborhood nothing changed just the places and the weather that mostly changed. Usually it’s always cold in Ukraine and it’s not that fun when you don’t have any heat in your house. But now its warmer, there’s hot water, mostly everything is fine but instead of a house I live in an apartment and my father did a lot of renovations to the place. We tried not to get back to our old look back in Ukraine and that’s going to make my family home sick and wanting to go back there.
A few years later, life is now wonderful in America. I don’t have the accent anymore, I got used to the English language/culture. I celebrate Fourth of July, St. Patrick’s day, etc… This is America the Land of Opportunities and I love it here.