The day I came to the United States — October 18, 2022 — I was 13 years old. I wished my whole family could come with me, especially my grandparents. They were like a second set of parents to me, and being with them always made me feel complete.

Before the Taliban came, my life in Afghanistan was simple but full of hope. I went to school every day, and I was a good student. My teachers were proud of me, and I felt encouraged to keep learning. My studies were going well until everything changed. When the Taliban took over, I kept telling myself, “Maybe we can still go to school.” But when the school holidays ended, they announced that girls were no longer allowed to attend. I felt shocked and confused. Why couldn’t girls learn? Why was our future being taken away?

Even though I could not go to school anymore, I decided to study at home. I told myself that one day I might go to America with my family, especially because my father worked with the Americans. Life in Afghanistan became harder. The economy collapsed, food became expensive, and many families struggled to survive.

Six months after the Taliban took over, my father received an email from the Americans. They told him to send in his documents and wait for further instructions. We did not know when we would leave or what would happen next. When the final date was confirmed, half of my family was heartbroken. We were leaving, but many of the people we loved most were staying behind.

We went to the airport, showed our documents, and boarded the plane. Our first stop was Qatar. We stayed there for two months while our paperwork was processed. The heat was intense, so we often went outside at night just to breathe cooler air. Those two months felt long and uncertain, but eventually everything was approved.

After two months, we received our vaccinations and were taken by bus to the airport. We rode through the night until morning. At the airport, we slept for a little while to recover from the long trip. Then we boarded the plane to the United States. The flight was long, but easier than the first one because we had already traveled from Afghanistan to Qatar.

When we arrived in the United States, a caseworker met us and helped us get to a hotel. It was already dinner time, but I was so tired that I fell asleep without eating. We stayed in the hotel for a month while we looked for a place to live. When we finally moved into our new home, it felt like the beginning of a new chapter.

Two months later, I started school. I did not understand English at all, but I was happy because I finally had the chance to study again — something I could not do in Afghanistan. Over time, I made friends and worked hard to learn English. Every new word made me feel proud. When I started high school, I felt stressed about my classes, but I kept trying my best because I want to achieve my dreams.

Moving into our new house was one of the most important moments for me. After living in a hotel for two long months, I was ready for a place that felt like home. The hotel was comfortable, but it never felt like ours. When the day finally came, I woke up excited and nervous. Packing our last bags felt like closing one chapter and opening another. When we stepped inside our new home, everything felt fresh and full of possibility. Even though we still had unpacking to do, I felt something I had been missing for months — a sense of belonging.

After everything we went through, it finally felt like we were home again.

© Sadaf. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.