Already celebrating 20 years in the USA

Yesterday, as I walked Chipotle to get late lunch I noticed a manager interviewing a potential employee. They seemed to have a nice conversation, but ultimately what it is making write this is the fact that next Tuesday February 28th, 2012 I will be celebrating 20 years of living in the United States of America, and I saw myself in the same seat so many times in the beginning of this journey.

Working in restaurants as dishwasher, busboy or waiter (my friend Ramon would say, “Waitress.”) was part of my life in the beginning. My English was limited, although I was already going to San Francisco City College, and I couldn’t or didn’t feel comfortable to apply for any other job.

I wouldn’t change a thing from those years. They made me who I am right now and it will be part of challenge I have to myself: Write at least 20 pages of significant things that happened to me through the 20 years of living in the USA.

Back to Chipotle, and getting my lunch, and the interview session I saw, silently I wish him luck. Although, he might not needed (He was a blond, well put together and English speaking young man), I still wish him luck on his journey.

I am now an actor. Well, I have always been an actor. I am a Project Manager at a very lovely and professional company, Illuminate, Inc. In some extent, I have accomplished part of my “American Dream”.

I do speak and write English much better than in 1992. I have learned how this country and society is different than the Venezuelan society where I came from. Not by much, I think. Ultimately, I continue to learn on a daily basis how to live in this country, keeping my Latino roots alive and intact, and it is working fine. I still have a heavy accent which sometimes opens doors, and others, closes them forever. Ok, they lose.

You will hear about those 20 pages of 20 years living in the United States of America. As my very dear friend Tom says, you will hear about the “Monito” (little monkey) who came to the states to have a new life, and I have.