Those rusty little tires rolled onto the rain soaked asphalt of the United States of America as I took my first steps towards a new chapter in life. My family has gone through a lot of changes ever since my father bought his first studio moving into the capital city of Bangladesh, Dhaka. They started from scratch with a one room apartment in Dhaka and now they have over 3000 workers working under them at a printing press company alongside an import-export business with China. That’s how I met my very first travel partner: my pink suitcase. When my uncle brought it from China my 11 year old heart was rushing out of my chest as my mind ran around the possibilities of my future. That day I’d set a goal in life to build a successful foundation at school so that one day I can move out into my own house in that pink suitcase. However, things took a turn as my family made a crucial decision to move into the US in the middle of a global pandemic. I never thought I’d have to move out of the comfort of my house in Bangladesh to start everything from scratch in the US but after a few months here, I realized the future my family had planned for me. They hadn’t just opened up a door of a new environment for me but a whole world of opportunities. When I came to the US in that pink suitcase, I thought my life long dream had just been crushed into a million pieces, only to realize it had in fact, elevated nearer to my dreams. I’m still running towards my dreams at a faster pace than ever as I hope for the day I move out of my parent’s house, rolling down the asphalt, into my own home.

– A.R

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant