31 Years Later: A Journey of Love, Growth, and New Beginnings
Tomorrow will mark 31 years since I arrived in the United States, on March 9, 1994. I was 23 years old, crossing the ocean in the name of love.
I remember the anxiety as I walked away from my mother and sister, heading toward the gate at the airport. I was torn between leaving everything I knew behind, feeling guilty for parting ways with them, and unsure of what the future held. I wore a white shirt and a khaki skirt, clutching a large photo album that felt like proof of my life in Puerto Rico.
I also recall packing a massive suitcase, filled with everything I owned, including a glass set of pots and pans. It was so heavy, the handle broke the moment the airline attendant pulled it to load it onto the cart. No airline would allow such a large bag today, and I haven’t seen a suitcase that size in years!
Looking back, there’s so much I would tell that young girl, but I wouldn’t change a thing, because here I am today—on this path that has shaped me into who I am now, still learning, still loving. It’s been a journey filled with joy, sadness, surprises, love, loss, gratitude, fear, and awe.
Would I change anything? I’d love to say yes, but then where would I be? Would Mireya and Gabriel be part of my life? The multiverse question, right?
I landed in Chicago, Illinois, and spent my first year in Champaign, IL.
Some of my strongest memories from that first year are:
- The weather – I set the thermostat to 85°F and still felt cold.
- The language – I had learned English since first grade, but I could understand it and still couldn’t put more than three words together. I learned by watching TV and figuring things out on my own.
- The web – I was at the heart of the Champaign-Urbana campus, where Netscape and HTML were just beginning to develop. That’s where I created my first web page. As a Computer Science major, it wasn’t far from my education, and my skills soon became highly valued. I even gained some celebrity status on campus—people would recognize me as "the girl with the Puerto Rican page."
Though that love story didn’t have a happy ending, I walked away with two incredible children. If my only purpose in life is to be their mother, then that’s the greatest honor I could have. But I’m not stopping, I know that I am still writing my story, and I trust that the next chapter will bring more joy, learning, and love.
