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My First Few Weeks in the United States

Maritza

My First few weeks in the United States were a mixture of challenges and learning experiences. My husband was waiting for us at the airport when we arrived in Seattle, which was a comforting start to our new life here. I arrived with my five year old daughter. One of the biggest challenges I faced was finding a school for her, since she didn’t speak any English. I knew she would need extra time and support to adjust. I spent days visiting school, making calls, and filling out forms to ensure she would be in a safe and supportive environment. Fortunately, one of the teachers was incredibly helpful, allowing her to stay extra time at school to study English. Alongside this, I also began the process of obtaining my driver’s license, which required studying, organizing documents, and navigating appointments in an unfamiliar system. To support us financially during this transition, I worked washing dishes at events for a catering company, which, though physically demanding, provided much-needed income. Despite the exhaustion and difficulties of those early weeks, every small achievement brought me closer to stability. In the end, those first weeks in the U.S. were full of stress, effort, and adaptation, but also of small victories that gave me hope. Every form I completed, every shift I worked, and every challenge I faced brought me closer to stability. In summary, it taught me resilience and perseverance, and now I am more confident in my ability to build a better life for my daughter and me in the United States.

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My First Few Weeks in the United States Copyright © 2025 by Maritza is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.