Living the Dream: Finding My New Home in the U.S. & Lessons Learned Along the Way by Mila Peters

As children, we dreamed of visiting the United States someday, but for my siblings and me, it was just a dream (or so I thought). At the age of 23, with a passport in my hands and a heart full of dreams and uncertainty, I decided to come to the U.S. pursuing the so-called “American Dream.”

To me, it was the greatest opportunity of my life – to have a better life, and the hope that someday I would call this place my home. It was challenging; being away from my family was the hardest part. But I knew a light was shining in the other side of those barriers and as my mother would say, “You only need to be alive to live your dreams, but it takes work.” And she was right.

I have been living in the U.S. for 15 years, and this place is my new home. As an immigrant, I only needed an opportunity, a chance to survive, and this land gave me that and much more. There is so much more to my story, but here is what I learned:

• Love is free.
• Kindness is beautiful and always trending!

Spread love, be kind and empathize with people. No matter religion, background, nor ethnicity, we are all humans and we never know whose life we touch, and how inspiring we can be to someone else.