Two years ago, now sophomore Anu Oluwashina stepped off the plane at the airport. She and her family grabbed their bags and headed outside and into the heat of the day. She felt relief wash over her as she took in her surroundings. After a 10-hour flight, they had finally made it to Texas.
“It was kind of stressful but relieving at the same time,” Oluwashina said. “Coming outside, it was so much of a relief because we were finally here.”
Oluwashina moved to Texas from London two years ago so her mother could open a business to sell baked goods. Moving countries provided multiple challenges for her. For one thing, Oluwashina had to pack 14 years worth of personal belongings to ship to Texas from London. For another, the differences in academics are overwhelming.
“Obviously, catching up is one of the hardest things I had to deal with,” Oluwashina said. “You just have to really be focused on it.”
Moving to Texas was a difficult transition for Oluwashina. From the way schooling works to things as simple as going to the store, everything was different from the way it had been in the UK. Even the layout of buildings and streets is different.
“Here everything is wider,” Oluwashina said. “Usually in London everything is so narrow and small compared to here.”
Along with this, there is also the challenge of leaving behind the only place and friends she knew. Like anyone, she sometimes became homesick in the time following the move.
“I’d been there for so long,” Oluwashina said. “I miss just the presence of it.”
Moving to Texas, of course, brought its own set of expectations. Many people expect all Texans to ride horses to school and wear 10-gallon hats and cowboy boots everywhere.
“When I came here I was preparing myself for really strong accents, everyone just doing stuff differently, and everyone kind of the same with the cowboy boots,” Oluwashina said. “I really did think that people rode horses, not to school or anything, but I knew people rode horses and stuff like that.”
Though the move itself may have been hard, not everything was negative. Oluwashina has found many things about Texas enjoyable, especially the wide variety of food and restaurants. All in all, she is happy about her move.
“I think it was worth it because I feel like, as a person and academically, coming to America is a really good thing,” Oluwashina said. “It’s a huge thing, but If you really think of it, it’s for the best.”
