With all the excited in my mind, I finally booked my ticket for USA, with all of my other friends. I was still having two minds; on one side I am going to USA for my studies on the other side it was leaving my family behind for some period of time. I had some emotion side, but I knew that I must go as it is for the betterment of both my family and me.

The day arrived for me 28^th December 2005, it was not a normal morning as it used to be, I got ready and went downstairs, I saw my mom already on praying for me with tears on her eyes, I could not see that, so just tried to make me busy with other things. She finished her pray and then I hugged her, still crying from her heart, I told please don’t cry otherwise I cannot go, she told it is tear of happiness. I was getting calls from my friends who have already arrived in the airport waiting for me, so without wasting more time, we left for the airport. I spend my final moments before clearing the security with my family, it felt like I did not had a heart, as they where my heart.

It was a long flight but was not alone; spend some good times with my friends on the journey, just talking about the colleges and memories that we left behind.

29^th December 2005, we landed on Chicago, we could see the downtown, all the hierarchies, and it was like landing totally on a different planet. We cleared the security with not much of a problem at all, but our only concern was that our flight got delayed for approximately two hours, so we missed the Greyhound Bus from the airport, I looked the schedule that we printed out and figured out that the bus will be on the other station in Chicago downtown, so with all the decisions made, we took a cab, loaded our luggage on it and went to downtown, looking at the downtown at night was like heaven.

We were all tired and hungry so eat some food once we reach the Greyhound terminal. We left Chicago to reach our destination University of Findlay, it was chilly outside, but we where all prepared for it. Before leaving Nepal we wrote an email to the University to pick us up from the Findlay terminal, so we where all set. Once we reached the terminal we could not see any one from college, we tried to call the college but that answering machine was just frustrating all of us, finally we called a private cab and told them to take us to our friends address.

We just could not compare Chicago and Findlay, it was like coming from heaven to hell, but don’t have any option, unloaded out stuff in friends apartment, cursing college for not picking us up as spending $10 individual at the first day itself is really hard as we just convert them to Nepali Rupee every time. Everyone crashed on the bed and couch and made ourselves comfortable; we just slept as it was a hell of a ride.

Next part will be posted tomorrow