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Border Crossing Fail By Kaan Uslular ’23
Everyone has a tough and unforgettable memory in their life, undoubtedly. However, after some time when we dream about those challenging days, we realize they were one of the best times of our lives. I want to tell you about a memory that is difficult, but later I realized that it is a memory that I will never forget in my life. I’ve learned that true friendships are made in tough times. The winter break plan was shaped for me and Ms. Nadeau’s biology class. My lovely classmate Pierre invited me to his house for Christmas. It was definitely an intense feeling of happiness. He is one of my best friends, and he is just an absolute soft-hearted friend. After a while, everything was all set for us. We made all our plans to go with him to Quebec, Canada. At the beginning there were no problems about this amazing Christmas break but for me there were little bumps in the road. I’m from Turkey, and I needed a visa to get into Canada. I trust my international visa because I’m a student in the US, and my passport is going to solve any problem at the border. I had Plan A, which is to not find any inaccurate situations and I’ll just go to Pierre’s house smoothly. Plan B is a little bit problematic one. It is possible that I’ll not be able to cross the border. To summarize the situation, I am a redundant positive person and that's not always a good thing. Greta, Pierre and I hopped into a little car on a sunny Sunday. After a very sweet journey, I realized that the best conversations occur on long journeys. We passed through very dark and snowy roads, and we arrived at the Canadian border. I had little goosebumps when the officer was checking my passport because mine was the only one he gazed at for a long time. I was a little scared and the man said pull forward and wait. This was the time I realized I needed to get ready for Plan B. That scary and unwanted scenario happened. I didn’t know what to do, who to call or what to say. Thank God, I had my best friends in that car. They dropped me off at a tavern back into town. Luckily they gave me free cold chili there. They just felt badly for me and they were also sad for me (photo is from in front of the tavern). Last but not least, there are two very important key people here. It wouldn’t be a lie if I said they saved my life. Ms. Carton and Mr. Lundblade. Without their help, I wouldn’t have gotten back to campus and gone to my uncle.
