As of [Thursday], it is exactly one year and 11 days since I landed in the USA. First of all, I missed my flight from Chicago to St. Louis since I had a two-hour layover in Chicago, but actually spent all that time in a customs check line. I got to St. Louis around 9, and I did not know what to do since SEMO greeters had not known that I missed my flight. I almost decided to take a cab to Cape, but before I could do that I saw Kim Roberts, one of the greeters, holding a paper that had SEMO initials on it. If it was not for the SEMO paper I saw, I would have had a very long taxi drive.
Calling back home was tough. I bought a calling card and borrowed my friend's phone, and for the $10 calling card I only talked for seven minutes (tax not included). Eventually my parents had to call me from my friend's phone since it's much cheaper for them to call me. Internet is a luxury in Kenya, so Skype is not available for my parents, but I at least talk to them.
The food was different and is still different, since in Kenya the food has more quality and quantity, where I can eat one plate and be full. Now I have to eat close to four plates to satisfy my intense metabolism.
I was lucky enough that I came when the winter was mild. So the first time I saw snow I was excited, and me and my friend, Sindupa De Silva, played with the snow, but the neighbor called the cops on us thinking we were having a party. Luckily by the time the cops came we had gone back to bed.
In my country we tend to have public transport, and before I knew people around, me and my friend, Raphael Pellenard, walked all the way to Walmart, which was a very good workout. But now I tend to ask my friends to let me know when they are going shopping so that they can offer me a ride.
The fact that I spent a lot of time in the International Center helped me settle very, very well with the help of my awesome sister from another mother, Suzanne McKinney. Having good friends helped a lot, and working as team with Raphael Pellanard and Sindupa De Silva helped me conquer things faster.
Apart from the weather, the biggest challenge was finding a job. Coming from Kenya where you start working at the age of around 21 was such a disadvantage since I had no work experience. Also, the fact that I could only work on campus makes it even tougher. With all that, Troy Vaughn, the director of Recreation Services, took me and taught me about football and made me a football official, bearing the fact that I knew nothing about it. Thanks to Troy, I eventually had my first work experience.
Otherwise all is very, very good, and I mean very good. Thanks to SEMO and Cape for having me and for the past one year and 11 days.
