09/01/2025
26 years ago today my dad drove me 10 hours to Budapest where I got on an airplane by myself, flew to Munich, Germany, where my airplane needed maintenance and was delayed. After 10 hour flight, rough landing and bad motion sickness causing me throw up on my first plane over the big pond, I landed in Chicago. My suit case was big, old, heavy, maroon, without wheels. It’s the only suit case my family had. I went through customs but because my flight was delayed, I missed my connecting flight and was placed on a later one. With my broken English, I was able to exchange a $5 bill for coins and use a pay phone to call my host family and leave them a voicemail that I was arriving on a later flight. I sat at the airport and cried. I was homesick.
I learned most of my English translating for foreign soldiers as a teen at a military base during the Bosnian war. My English wasn’t great, but it was enough to get by.
I wanted to leave home but I also knew that I had to. My family missed the opportunity to get out of Bosnia before the war started, and after the war, the government wasn’t letting people leave and we had multiple unsuccessful attempts. This was it though … I made it and I was going to make the best out of it.
I spend the next 26 years hustling. Met some amazing people at St Luke’s Hospital Emergency Dept in Cedar Rapids, Iowa who made me fall in love with medicine. Met my husband after medical school and him and my sister have been my biggest supporters. I’m the biggest introvert so making friends doesn’t come easy but my besties are my family and they support me like family.
To say that I’m living the American dream would be an understatement. I’ve surpassed every dream I ever had and I’m beyond grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given in my life.
I am surrounded by people who love and support me; my family, friends near and far, and all of my supporters. I am grateful for relationships & friendships.
If you read all this, thank you. Thank you for your support and love. I appreciate YOU. 🫶🏼💕
