Friendship First

Have you ever heard the saying "a life without friend is a life without sun"? What kind of role do your friends play in your life? The saying is my motto, and for me, friends are very important. A friend is someone who will share my happiness and sorrow with me when I need her anytime. I have been in U.S for one year. I felt a little lonely in the year just like a lack of something, and I am clearly aware that it is friends. Since I came to the U.S, I know something has been changing—my view of making friends.

When I arrived here from China, I had to start my friendships again. In China, I have a lot of good friends. Most of them have been my friends since I was a little child, and they are important to me. After I came to the U.S, we contact each other rarely because I am far away from them. Am I losing them? I always ask myself this question. A different culture brings distinct language, so it is a little difficult to make good friends in the United State. I have tried my best to make friendships from zero, but as a new immigrant, I need time. I am eager to make lots of good friends in the U.S just like I did in China.

After coming to the U.S, I also realized that the way of getting along with friends was different from China. In China, most young people like hanging out with their friends at night. They like singing Karaoke, having drinks, and going shopping at night. In Chicago, some people don't like going out at night. It is often very quiet outside, so I am even afraid of going out at night. In addition, in China, when people eat together with friends, they always rush to pay for the meal for others. This is a sign of politeness and friendship. In the U.S, people like paying by themselves even couples. At first I wasn't used to the way of getting along with friends here, but I am trying my best to adapt to the new rhythms of the country.

As time goes by, it looks like the importance of friends in my life is diminishing. In China, people depend on their friends a lot. They like sharing happiness and sadness with friends, and letting their friends help solve problems with them. In the U.S, people are more independent, and many like doing things by themselves. For some people, friends don’t come first. Since I came here, I have become more independent. Even though I still like to rely on friends, I already spend more time on other things instead of socializing.

“Many people will go in or out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” This saying is also my motto. Looking for a good friend is not easy, especially in a different culture and in a different language. Once you find them, you should get along well with them. For me, friends are not only the people who can share my happiness and sadness, they are also spiritual support. Living in this country, I will look for more good friends as I lose some old ones, adapt to the way of making friends in a different culture, and even reestablish the importance of friends in my life.