Around three months ago, I was having those feelings.  What kind of feelings? The ones that come when you make a major decision for your future and you wait for the day to come. Then, when it’s almost there, you feel so excited but a part of you starts thinking, “Is it the right thing to do?” All of a sudden the thing that you’ve been dreaming of and talking about becomes a kind of a weight on your chest. That was me, lost in thoughts and Ideas. Often, that is still me.

I got my college diploma back home from a British college franchised there (London City College), and after I got it, they closed the center for some reason.

During that period, I decided to stop school for a while and get involved in the business; I liked the deal closing and price negotiating processes, along with the correspondences and translations I used to do in the office. Due to the type of business my father runs, he travels a lot. My brother helps him in the shop. I’ve been to Germany with him a lot of times, because that’s where we import car parts from, and ship them back to Syria.

Visiting Germany a lot, and having cousins and aunts there, made me like the country. I started thinking of moving there to continue my studies, but that thought wasn’t complete, due to the war in Iraq and the entire situation in the area.  Then, the business had a heart attack, and we no longer needed to import anything from Germany because the market was full, and no one was buying.

Schiller International University’s Florida campus wasn’t my 1st choice; my plan was the campus in Heidelberg, Germany. But when things didn’t work, I contacted Schiller Florida. A few days later, I got an e-mail from a person who is now one of my best friends, Moe. Moe sent me an e-mail back asking for my phone number and the right time for him to call and answer all my questions. And so it happened, he guided me through all the steps I need to get my visa and fly to the Sunshine State.

I was so excited and ready to leave the country already, due to lots of disappointments and rough times. I wanted to be somewhere better, do something better, and help my family in the future.  I was counting the days, until few days. Everyone in the house was sad, trying to hide it, but all doing a terrible job. I started visiting my favorite places for the last time, and saying goodbye to the people I know, because I had my mind set on spending the last 2 days in the house with my mom and dad.

My family consists of: my Mom and Dad, my brother (28), his wife (25), and their son (1 year and 4 months now). That kid is my nephew, my God son, and my life. I’m a person who is so attached to his family - I know you hear this all the time, but trust me, my case is way more complicated.

My mom means something I can’t describe to you. One of the reasons that made me stop and think before making my decision to fly to Florida, was my mom. I cried a lot, she cried a lot and we both still do, but she told me, “You have to go.  It’s for your own good. I want to be proud of you.” I hardly understood what she said, because her tears were choking her.