Senior Areeba Atique’s experience of moving to the U.S. from Pakistan

I was born and raised in Multan, Pakistan which is Pakistan’s fifth most populous city.
My mom was a teacher and my dad worked at a dealership. It is my home town and it always feels good to go back home and visit the rest of my relatives.
However, my dad’s older brother lived in the U.S. and we decided to come visit him for a few days. I came to the U.S. in second grade and I was about 6 years old.
We were planning on staying with my uncle for about 2 months, but then he decided that he wanted to sponsor us to permanently stay here.
Since he owned two restaurants and was a wealthy businessman it got approved quickly.
My life has changed for the better ever since my parents made the decision of residing here.
Back in Pakistan things haven’t been great and they don’t seem to be getting better any time soon. The electricity goes out every other hour, and the water shortages have crossed limits, along with the heat waves.
Furthermore, the government is corrupt, the country lacks security, and there have been multiple bombings happening along with extreme terrorism.
Moreover, Pakistan is still one of the last beautiful countries, full of great cultures and food.
Not a day goes by where I don’t feel grateful for living here and gaining all of these experiences that I wouldn’t have the chance to experience back home.
My parents and I are certainly proud of where and how far I’ve come. I am going to college soon and I am well aware of what I want to do in my life after high school.
The American culture is amazing, and it feels great to be living in a country which is more of a mixing bowl of severall cultures. I have taken many risks and I believe those are the risks that have truly brought me so far and built my personality so much.