I step outside for the first time this year,
And I’m greeted by a different set of eyes.
I exchange pleasantries in a new language,
Because I’m not in the land of birth-
I’m here in the land of surprises and hope.
And so, with every new step I take, 
I dare to explore, and I dare to commune
With the first strange face that gives me a smile.

Editor: Erynn Crittenden