205 Exanime (Guatemala, Age17): English

Hi my name is Exanime, I’m share about my immigration story, I come from Guatemala, I had 16 years old when I started my plans to travel to USA I lived with my grandmother since I was 7 years old, my father traveled to United States when I was 6 years old, and lived with my mom till 6 years.

In April 2013 we have many personal problems and call my dad, to help us to my brother and me to leave the country and be with my dad call a week later telling if it would help us, and we left asap Guatemala, the only thing I asked him was to allow me to spend my birthday in Guatemala I was born on May 3, 1997 was 15, he said no we had problem finally was May 3 would fulfill 16 years, it was the best day of my life and knew that I had a few days in the country and had to ensure maximum enjoyment with family and friends, after 3 days my dad called and said he would leave for Guatemala on May 7 but before we had to go to my grandmother's house where we would find pedro the people who take us on the journey.

May 7 and were ready to leave Guatemala, were in the house of my grandmother (the mother of my dad), we left the house with tears in her eyes, took our first bus for more than 12 hours to reach the mexico and Guatemala border, after a long journey tired at night, we stayed in a hotel, the next day our continuing journey finally coming to mexico and taking another bus, on our tour of mexico we climbed and descended from buses and trolleys and abian last more than 4 days, the total distance we had to pass through a checkpoint Mexican police, that we could not get there, they would drop us and deported to Guatemala, but pedro had a idea before you get to that place and walk down a rocky, mountainous area were more than five hours we walk, then came to a house where we attended and we got to eat, spend the night there rested and the next morning the continuous journey left early to grasping at power grasping at the next bus, and only missing 2 days to get to where we would have to wait for the call to cross the border of mexico and united states, finally arrived and in that place a good and kind people were, we were a full day where we could rest, sleep and rest easy for first time since we left Guatemala, and had past 6 days and were on the border of mexico and the united states, the Pope night called and said that next day we could cross the border, the other day morning went astta the try border crossing but it was useless it was much migration and captured we told them that we were minors, we were with migration for more than five hours and they sent us to a place where we were for more than 20 days, Then they sent us to new york where we would meet with my dad

After eight years we finally saw my dad was a beautiful reaction, we arrived at our new home, I initially cost us a little getting used to, but with the passage of time everything was becoming more common and we we were adapting easier. we came here for summer, and my dad got us to the coaching soccer team and helped us every day for us so we overcome them.

Finally the end summer and my dad was us enroll to school, everything was different, people from many countries classes, and the school was very different from Guatemala, It was also difficult because I have to speak another language and my classes are all in English, but at that moment was where I get my first best friend, she is a very cute little girl me helped, not only in my work but it also emotionally, after one year of friendship, I get another person he also became my best initially friend was all shy but eventually became more than my friend, he's like my brother, they 2 are those that an made me change'm very grateful that they're in my life ....