It was just a normal day at school, learning, having fun with friends, how could this day get better? Coming home, tired after a long day not expecting anything special, it hits her, the news that she was least expecting that day. “My mom came up to me after school and told me they want to move to the US, not really what I wanted to hear.”

Lia Sheinbaum was a ninth grader in an Israeli middle school, she was a very friendly and enthusiastic person in her school, she always participated and was in a lot of social activities inside and outside of school, she had lots of friends and was always up for challenges. “Ninth grade was my peak. I think it was one of the best years of my life, my school was amazing, my friends were amazing.”

She knew this was her place, it was her home. When she first heard the news she thought it wasn’t real, “I thought they were pranking me.”

Her parents told her that they are moving in a month and that she needs to start getting ready. Packing up and saying bye to all her family and friends was one of the hardest things she has done, she didn’t know when the next time she would see them could be, tears rolling down her face while saying goodbye to all the people she loves and moving away to the other side of the world. Landing in the US for the first time ever was unreal for her. “I thought I was dreaming, I was always waiting for this moment but now I’m actually living it.”

When she got to the U.S. she said it was very different, everything is bigger and well put together. Before the first day of school, Lia was very stressed, she was updating her friends from Israel on everything. “I was so nervous, I didn’t know what people would think of me, I was scared that I wouldn’t have friends, it was all so overwhelming.”

When Lia first got to the school she didn’t know anyone, but as soon as she got to second period things changed. “When I got to second period I saw someone I recognized from orientation, I was so relieved because now I have someone that I know.”

After about a month, Lia warmed up to the school, she met a lot of new people and she felt like she’s in a good place, this was her new home. Although she still misses Israel sometimes, she’s still grateful for every moment here. Ariel Sheinbaum, Lia’s sister says: “I think she made a very good improvement, although it was very hard for her at first I really think she improved as a person. People always liked to be around her and I don’t think it changed since the move.”

The outbreak of the war started two months after Lia moved, she never expected something like that to happen. The thought of her leaving just before a war in her home country makes her feel uneasy: “It’s really hard looking  at it from the side knowing I can’t do anything about it, Israel is my country and I feel like I kind of abandoned it. I’m sitting here at home while  my family and friends are going through something I can’t even imagine going through, and I just cant be there with them and know what it feels like to be in their situation.”

Now that Lia has lived in the US for four months, she learned new stuff and really improved. Lia already has a flight to Israel in February: “I’m so excited to see my friends and family, I guess the move wasn’t that bad after all.”

Although there is still a war going on in Israel, people still go to Israel to visit family and friends, and the situation in Israel is getting better and is a safer place to be in than how it was two months ago. “I am aware of the war and still scared but I don’t want it to be the thing that stops me from seeing my family and friends.”

Lia has some advice for other people who are moving far away: “It will be hard at first, you’ll think there’s no going back and you’ll miss a lot of people, but just know it will soon get better and you’ll find your place and people you feel safe around, it’s just a matter of time till everything will go back to normal and you will be happy.”