The Great American Dream

Dream is what we want. Dream is something we strive for. As a kid we have these n+1 number of dreams and as you grow some of them come true while some fade out. But yes, before they fade out they make you realize what you missed by not achieving them.
USA..This is like the Mother of all Dreams! Ask a person in Cuba where he wishes to go and he says USA. Ask a child in India where would he like to settle and he will pop-up with a quick answer,"America"! Same was for me, after I came into the field of Occupational Therapy all I could think of how to get to USA. Five years have now passed by and here I am in what they call the Land Of Dreams!
The time I landed here on 29th July 2005 I could feel the excitement. It was something that you feel when you actually get what you have been eyeing for since long. The first 10 days I spent with a group of Indians who were like absolute angels. Ambarish, Milind, Smit and Amit the 4 guys with whom I was placed as temporary accommodation but they helped me like I was their childhood friend; right from writing resume for assistantship to free pizza at Giodarno's. Most importantly a friendly atmosphere to stay in. I still owe them for the help they offered which cant be repaid so easily. Also there was Kavita and Vinu who gave great moral support.
First 20 days were like living hell trying to find the assistantship. I remember skipping lunches and sleepless nights due to the haunted thought of paying huge amount in form of tuition fees. Finally, managed to grab an assistantship and then could get down to enjoying what once was a dream and now a reality.
I remember walking down the Michigan Avenue and watching the original showrooms for GAP and stores like Virgin records oh yeah and the worth watching store "Victoria's Secret". The first time that I walked on the Avenue I had this ear to ear smile thinking finally its real.
Its been about 7 months now in this so called affluent country and seen the best as well as the worst of this part of the world. The country gives you opportunities, money and everything you can ask for in the materialistic world but it steals from you the important thing and that's..YOU yourself!!
And now all that the mind longs for or DREAMS for is about getting back the true me. Sometimes the thing that comes to mind is the word " The Great American Dream" is not complete; it should have been " The Great materialistic Dream"..