Closing the Distance
By the time we found out that the immigrant visa was approved, we started making plans. Joe bought the ticket and we decided to go on a vacation to celebrate. We chose Chicago as it is close to Louisville and would also mean I wouldn't have to do another layover. We made the itinerary and booked the hotels. The visa was finally received on January 5th, 2017 with a document in sealed envelope that I could not open until I arrive in United States. On January 18th, 2017, I was boarded on my flight from Jakarta, Indonesia to Chicago, USA. To be honest, it was a pretty thrilling experience as we all know how Trump's view is about immigration and Muslims. I was scheduled to land in Chicago on January 19th, 2017 at 08:30 AM, and since it was my first time coming to USA, I just could not stop thinking about the inevitable hassle at the immigration. The fact that I was bringing a lot of food in my luggage didn't help, which worried me that I would have trouble at customs.