By Sajal Fatimah (YES 2018-2019, Pakistan, hosted by CIEE in Grand Junction, CO)

It feels only about yesterday that I boarded a plane, taking me to United States. I didn't know what to expect or even what to think. All I knew was, I'm going to meet a new family, I'm going to make new friends, and it's going to be a new life. I came to Grand Junction on August 31st, 2018 and my family was there to welcome me. I remember how happy I was when my host dad came even though he had work; I remember how my younger sister clung onto me when I first came out of the airport; I remember my parents taking me to a restaurant and; I remember being happy.

It’s been almost five months that I have been staying in United States and I won’t say that I haven’t had problems or that my exchange year was perfect because nothing is perfect, but I would say that YES has given me the opportunity to live a wonderful life in a year. I not only found a family who hosted me, but a family who loved me wholeheartedly. I had the honor to call four women, my mom. I had the honor to call four men, my dad. I not only got one family, I got four.

My dad, who along with my mom decided to host me, calls me Randy and I call him Olivia. We eat imaginary liver and onions all the time. Yep, that’s us. That’s our relationship. My mom and dad, together always crack jokes about pork and confuse me with the kind of food I’m eating because I can’t eat pork. My sister, Ashlyn, is someone you should go to if you need a secret keeper. I remember when I first came to Grand junction, my charger wouldn’t work and my sister said, “Oh my gosh Sajal, you just came here and broke your charger?” We laughed so hard that day. From that day until now, whenever my sister is asked who I am, she’ll say that I am the person who breaks chargers.

Then, there’s my younger sister who is always there when I’m not okay even though she’s only nine years old. She always knows when I’m not okay and knows how to react, I guess that makes her the most mature girl of her age. My younger brother is a bit shy and his laugh always makes others laugh.

My local coordinator gave me the honor to have a third family. Recently, my host parents went to England so they let me live for a little while with another exchange student and that exchange student’s host family became my fourth family. My fourth family taught me something I’ll never forget, “You are not having to experience this life, you are getting to experience it.” I would very proudly say that I am blessed to have a second life with four families.

Of course I can’t forget the friends I made. For international education week, I decided to go to another school to give presentations on my country and there I made some friends. One of them turned out to be my best and this was all because of international education week. Everything happens for a reason for sure. A few weeks after I came to Grand Junction, I met someone who has till now supported me emotionally. He has always been there for even though he didn’t had to. He wanted me to have the best experience ever and he has undoubtedly done that for past few months. I will never forget the favors he has done for me. Friends like these exist and I can’t help but feel blessed for my second life.