I am a teen in High School. I came from Yemen 1 year ago. I now live in Michigan, Dearborn, were a lot of Arabic families live. I came for my education, but I found it hard for me to adapt here . It's really hard for me to move from my country and far away from family and friends. The U.S is different from Yemen in many ways. People dress differently; houses also look different.
When I first saw my house here in the U.S, I thought it looked like a dog house because it is made from Wood. It is also small. I regret when I used to complain about my house and my room in Yemen. Now I know that I was a princess in my country, because our house was 5 times bigger than here, and I had my own big room.
Michigan weather is also different. I can tell if it's summer, winter, spring, or fall, but in Yemen the weather is warm and sometimes cold, and I couldn't tell what season it is.
The best part here is that there are rights for people, they really care about them, unlike Yemen.



FHS is the high school that I attend. It's a huge school. Many students call it ''the white house'' because it's really huge. It is also a historical place. It was built in the 1900's.
''Wow, is that the school that I'm attending?!'' I said. I was excited when I saw FHS, but scared at the same time.
When the first day of school came, I didn't want to go. I was so scared because I didn't know anyone. I had to face my fears and go.
I was depressed for a while. I had no friends. No one to talk to. I saw a lot of different students. Some were nice and kind, but others were bad, and really annoying. ''What's wrong with these people,'' I said. FHS has a mostly Arab student body, but I still didn't feel at home.
It's really sad when you leave your home, and say goodbye to the ones you love. I felt lonely. I was smiling with tears in my eyes…



I did finally find a friend at FHS. I was at home that day. My mom told me that we were going to the store with our neighbors. I didn't want to go, I was hopeless, and I didn't want to meet people anymore because I felt one day will come and I will have to say goodbye, just like my friends in Yemen. My mom forced to me go because I couldn't stay home alone. Then I met Aya, my first friend in the United States.
We didn't talk that much at first, but day after day, we began to get closer. I was happy to find a friend, I was sad though, because I couldn't take the idea of ''home'' from my head.
Aya tried to make me feel better. She said funny things to make me laugh. She understands me when I talk, but I think no one will understand me better than myself.
Our parents began to make fun of us, because when we talk, we never stop.



8 months later, we're still friends. ''Forget your past, and be strong'' Aya tells me. I pretended to be strong, and I am strong now, because of her friendship.
It's good to have a friend in another country. Sometimes you really need a friend to talk to. Aya taught me many things, and one of them is to be brave and hopeful. She always makes me happy. I can't wait to show her Yemen, I think she will like it too!