Welcome to the USA

After not-a-short-time flight from Amsterdam Schiphol to Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Texas, United States, on August 15th 2012 morning, finally I arrived in the United States. At this point, I asked to my self, "Where am I? Am I in the United States?" Shortly before the plane landed, I saw through the window. I saw a green-covered-land which soon disappeared and changed into a huge airport. Houston's airport is huge and wide. I had no doubt that this airport is an intercontinental airport. We finally landed safely and queued up so badly in a very long line before passing the immigration officer. Although we should stand in a very long line, the immigration process was far easier than what I thought before. What I needed to show are the I-20, DS-2019, Passport, Visa, and left my fingers print. I moved along to look for my baggage. Mr. Al Jaeger was the one who  responsible to pick us up in the airport. With one of his friend, Mr. Al were waiting for us to come. We traveled from the airport by a long car and another normal car. With a touch of miracle or whatever it could be, all the baggage and all pupils were came into those two cars.

The first time arrived at the US airport

Mr. Al Jaeger drove us to the Lone Star College where Wanda and her friends will study. The campus looks beautiful with the modern style. However, it looks more like an office in Jakarta rather than a campus in the United States. I and Timmy would leave Houston for Lubbock in three days because the dorm in Texas Tech was still close that day. It was the middle of the day. We put our baggage in the apartment and then walked to the chinese restaurant to have a fried rice lunch. The fried rice wasn't taste the same as I have in Indonesia. Later I realized that it was still delicious compared to what I would consume in the next three months in Lubbock. We walked back to the apartment and Mr. Jaeger let us to rest and adapt with the time and temperature. He was right. I felt so tired till I could not feel my leg anymore. Houston is so hot with the high humidity, just like in Jakarta. In addition, we have 12 hours difference in time with Indonesia. My body felt like it was night. That's why I felt so tired and sleepy. I hoped that I could adapt with the time soon. I slept like a baby that night.

In the next morning, I woke up so early and had Sahur with Abri, Raven, Dade, Tomy, and Dhimas. We ate a microwaveable rice named Ready Rice which we bought last night in the Target Store. Well, it was almost the end of the fasting month and I had to fast. The rest of the days in Houston was exciting, boring, and eventually caused resentment. I felt so happy because finally I had arrived in the United States safely. It was boring because I did nothing and I could not wait to see my own University, Texas Tech University. However, I also felt so angry because one of them said joke to me about Lubbock which is dry like a desert while I had spent my day help Mr. Jaeger to buy them furnitures for their apartment. Finally, on August 17, 2012 Mr. Jaeger accompanied me and Timmy flew to Lubbock.