Everybody has that “butterflies in the stomach” feeling when they know that something really life-changing is going to ensue. All I could hear in the absolute silence of the night was that TICK-TOCK of my wall clock and along that TICK-TOCKY sound I did felt a continuous uproar of excitement in the air. Finally! The clock stroke 3:30. The time came when I had to leave for the airport. I still remember that quite weird combination of so many feelings together in me, rising higher and higher every micro-second. Oh YES! It was the day when I was leaving Pakistan (the place I belong to), I was leaving my beloved ones back home and I was heading towards USA to experience an exchange year. Quite gloomy for leaving my family, thrilled about the journey, enchanted for being selected as an exchange student, anxious about the flights, optimistic for a successful year and determined to give my best I sat in the car and left for the airport.

 These all feelings paused for some time when I saw some of my wonderful YES fellows at the airport, waving their hands to pay me welcome. I was really glad to see them after two whole months. After talking to them I came to know that it was not only me who had got those feelings. Everyone was feeling that way. Soon those feelings seemed to evaporate again within us. But when we got to meet our flight escort those weird feelings got a huge pause again because by nature he was a fun-loving and a joke making person. In fact we were enjoying his company.

 It was quite tiring and tough as well to get through all security checking and the customs as well but soon we made it and FINALLY! We were sitting in the plane. That moment when the plane was taking off I thought as if butterflies in my stomach were dancing now because it was my first time I was traveling by air. Then YEAH I departed and I started my journey that led me to my exchange year. All I was doing at that time was just making a mind set that I have to succeed. Yes, I want to be a remarkable exchange student.  

 Talking about our journey we flied for two hours to Dubai and stayed there for around 14 hours. Although it was a great fun hanging around and just looking NOT shopping things at the duty free shops. I got to see too many new things which I had never seen before. It was the hugest airport I had ever seen. I would see people from all around the globe who possessed totally different appearance, different outlooks and different languages. After that one thing flashed into my mind was that “The main thing which made that airport look huge was the diversity of people”.

The time came when we had to leave Dubai. We had to go through a 15 hours long flight from Dubai to Dulles airport Washington DC. When we climbed up into the plane to our surprise WE (YES students) or YES friends were having seats far far away from each other. That was quite shocking. “How do I would stay with totally strange people, away from my beloved friends during such a long flight?” But then one thing popped up in my mind that “It is the beginning of new experiences. I had already left my beloved ones back at home and I had made a commitment to go and to live with totally new people for a whole year”. This thing made me feel confident and comfortable too. I kept this thing in my mind and then went to my seat. So then I got another surprise or I should say a shock when I found that my seat was between two Chinese people who even didn’t knew English at all. “Will I have to stay quiet for 15 hours?” NO! But still I had to sit over there and I remember when the plane was taking off at that time I realized that I had left my knowns back home and I was heading towards a new family, new people and a new place. I felt some tears running down my face when I deeply realized this.

 Then my inner senses suddenly uttered that what if I can’t talk to them? What if I don’t know their language and they don’t know mine? There is a language which could be understood all over the world by all kind of people. Guess what language it would be?

YES! It is the “Smile language”. So what I kept doing for all 15 hours was that I just kept smiling at them and got huge smiles in return. That moment made me realize the importance of a SMILE J

 The moment came when one of the flight attendants proclaimed that we were at DC. WOW! We reached our destination safe and sound. That was good. I again smiled at both of the people sitting next to me to wish them good bye and again I got huge smiles I return which meant that they were wishing me good bye too.

 So that was my journey all the way from Pakistan to Washington. Although it was a 31 hour journey but only I can feel it that how much I got to learn from it and when I was done  with the immigration customs I was driving a trolley to get my baggage and at that time I was again smiling at my self and all I said to my self was:

       “Savita! Its just the beginning”

I am at my host family now and when ever I think of my journey I wonder that the journey which made me recognize a true human value “Smiling”  (because it helps me a lot here at my hosties) I don’t know how much my that journey would make me to learn during the whole upcoming year!

Although "One of the secrets of life is to find joy in the journey."-Matthew Buckley.