"New Life in America" and Adaptation

[JoBri 548]

I was scrolling through VJ just now, a little board now that my almost 6 year old son went to sleep and my wife is asleep. When I was scrolling through topics here, I got to thinking about the new life my wife has experienced here in America.

We have been married now going on 9 years. When she lived in the Philippines she was an English teacher, and then a principal. Her life definitely has changed. She tried to go back into teaching when she first arrived here, first working as a substitute teacher. But her confidence was shaken because she felt handicapped by her accent. She feared she could not be understood well enough by the students. On top of that it had been 15 years since she graduated from the university in education with a masters degree, and here she was required to take the licensing examination that new graduates here are required to take for the state. It proved to be a very difficult thing to recall the teaching philosophies and doctrines and such for the examination after 15 years, even though she was a celebrated teacher. As principal at an elementary school in Metro Manila, her students scored the highest on the scholastic aptitude tests in the district. Yet here it was difficult to pass that state examination.

So among other jobs, she worked at an assisted living where she was a resident assistant, helping to care for the elderly. in that job she found she had an interest in health care. After a few years there, she applied for nursing school. She graduated May 7 this year and passed her exam then for the nursing license this past weekend. She already has begun her new full time job as a Registered Nurse at one of the best hospitals in the region, even working on the cardiology/renal/respiratory unit which is exactly what she dreamed of doing.

On top of that we have a 6 year old son who excels academically, and my wife is an airman in the United States Air Force Air National Guard, with hopes of becoming an officer/nurse at the air base in the medical unit. Hopefully a flight nurse.

So since moving here, so much has changed. So much adapting. Am awfully lot of hard work. But as of today she got that nursing license, so it is official now, even as she is going through orientation this week at the hospital.

So I just was reflecting on all that. Other jobs she had since coming here? She worked in the laundry at a nursing home. She was in food services at the cafeteria of a high school. She worked in housekeeping at a hospital. And now, still an airman in the military and a registered nurse.

I am just so proud of her.

[sailchoc 7]

Great to hear.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

Good to hear as well. My wife is scared about trying to be a teacher here as well. She was a teacher in Mindinao and loved it, here is she scared because the kids here have no discipline (her words not mine). So she wanted to learn to be a CNA because supposedly they pay well, that was until I showed her how much they really make. So now she will start Nursing School in the fall in order to be a RN and couldn't be happier.

[Mamabrown3 17]

Congrats!!!! This is what America is about people coming from nothing and making something....

[Princess Ann 0]

Wow congratulations.... Your story inspired me?

[TBoneTX 45,537]

We need more stories like this.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Lovely. Your pride in her is evident. Speaking as a woman, there's nothing quite like when your man sings your praises to strangers for the simple reason that he's just so proud of what you've achieved.

Well done, both of you.

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

Congratulations! I like this story as my wife is going through a certification program to qualify as an assistant nurse, her job back in her home country. She also has worked some different jobs over the last year prior to re-starting her education here in the U.S.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Inspirational stuff here. Thanks for sharing!

[JoBri 548]

Thank you all for the nice comments. What I wrote, I hope, serves as encouragement that a person can come to this country and reinvent themselves, if necessary, and do pretty good in the process of that. Some people can come here and pick up with their job and training from their home country right where they left off, back there, where ever that may be. But it doesn't work for everybody like that. And everyone's story will be different, of course. But my wife had no idea what to do at first. Opportunities just happened, or ideas, that she pursued or followed up on. Some paths after awhile didn't go anywhere. A couple paths made it through the woods to the other side and continue to evolve. It takes trial and error and perseverance, tolerance, patience and time in making a way. She has been here since May 2009. So that is 7 years of trying to blaze a trail. That really isnt too bad. People born here in this country take a lot longer sometimes in making a path. And the journey and progress will continue still from here. But just am saying there is a lot of opportunity and hope for all of us and our spouses... Just need to not let obstacles block or discourage, but seek another way through the bountiful wilderness instead. She really is an inspiration to me, that's for sure. Best wishes to you all.

Edited June 16, 2016 by JoBri

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

Thank you all for the nice comments. What I wrote, I hope, serves as encouragement that a person can come to this country and reinvent themselves, if necessary, and do pretty good in the process of that. Some people can come here and pick up with their job and training from their home country right where they left off, back there, where ever that may be. But it doesn't work for everybody like that. And everyone's story will be different, of course. But my wife had no idea what to do at first. Opportunities just happened, or ideas, that she pursued or followed up on. Some paths after awhile didn't go anywhere. A couple paths made it through the woods to the other side and continue to evolve. It takes trial and error and perseverance, tolerance, patience and time in making a way. She has been here since May 2009. So that is 7 years of trying to blaze a trail. That really isnt too bad. People born here in this country take a lot longer sometimes in making a path. And the journey and progress will continue still from here. But just am saying there is a lot of opportunity and hope for all of us and our spouses... Just need to not let obstacles block or discourage, but seek another way through the bountiful wilderness instead. She really is an inspiration to me, that's for sure. Best wishes to you all.

Even though my wife, after 1 year, is finally going back to get certified in her original profession, she also did not have an idea what she wanted to do upon arrival. In fact, she was looking at a lot of different options before returning to her original profession. One thing that made the difference is her pursuit of better english at a local community college. Community colleges accept people of all ages so she's made friends from ages 20 to 60. Through her friends and some really good college administrators, she has been able to find the correct path for her.

As her spouse, I admit, it's been rather bewildering, especially at first. "What? You don't want to work in the nursing profession? But you have all this experience and education!" About six weeks after her arrival, I took a big step back and told her to pursue whatever she is dreaming about. No pressure. And now we're both happy with where she is heading.

[Roy&Chanel 109]

Thanks for sharing, thats very motivating. Keeps me positive!

[kandikandi 31]

This thread has long been quiet but just dropping a note to saw how inspiring this was. Thank you for sharing!