It is through events in life's journey that shapes and shapes who we are as people. For me, immigrating to America was one of those milestones that shaped who I am. Those who have had the opportunity to move from a different country to America know what a privilege it is. I felt the same honor knowing that I would travel to the land of opportunity. Without hesitation, I have spent the last two months packing my bags and making final preparations before moving to a new continent. Even though it was a bittersweet moment, leaving my beloved family behind, I knew I couldn't resist the treasure that awaited me in the new land. Coming from a developing nation, the high level of sophistication that greeted me upon arriving in America made me feel like I was in heaven. My brother, who already lived in America, picked me up at the Dallas Fort Worth airport. As we drove away from the airport towards his house where I would be staying for a while, the smooth ride fascinated me; I was used to potholes on the road in my home country. In the back of my mind I kept pondering how I could survive in this cold, only to be amazed upon arrival by the warmth I found inside the house. Out of curiosity I asked my niece "why is it so hot here?", my niece replied with a smile "the heat is getting too much, aunt" whatever she meant I didn't understand, although she spoke in English she had an American accent which took me a long time to adjust to and decipher. My brother, knowing that I would definitely experience culture shock, began to give me some ideas of what to expect. I remember her saying “This is America, my sister, they speak differently here, many things have different names from home”. Then he said to me, "open the trunk and unload...half of the paper...of the item. Coming to America was by far not what I expected. However, after living here for four years, I have learned to adapt to my surroundings. I was not mentally prepared for the cultural change I had been exposed to at first, but as the days turned into months and finally into years, I realized that I had become accustomed to that culture and I eventually became a part of it. I got used to calculating distance in miles and not kilometers, temperatures in Fahrenheit and not Celsius, weight in pounds and not kilograms. I was also influenced to see the beauty in different content, unlike back home where robust women are considered beautiful, healthy and happily married, unlike here where everyone is trying to lose weight to improve their beauty and health However, not even a decade spent in America can make me forget the extremes that I experienced upon my arrival.