Your America in 250 Words: Gunel Alasgarova

"This photo is me at Antrim Lake in Columbus, not Khanbulanchay in Lankaran, where I was born. When I first arrived in the United States, I kept looking for similarities and differences between here and my home. I searched for mountains like ours and found Hocking Hills, reminding me of the Talish Mountains. I visited Lake Erie and compared it to the Caspian Sea. Even food became a way to compare, Ohio corn is sweeter and cooks faster than ours, while the tomatoes smell just like the ones we used to pick in our hometown.

I mixed tastes from both places, eating Buckeye candy with the aromatic Lankaran tea I bring from home. I missed some things, like tandir bread, but also learned to enjoy new ones, like Der Dutchman breakfasts. Over time, I began celebrating not only my national and religious holidays, but also American ones. This spring, my family celebrated Nowruz, Easter, and Ramadan together.

At first, I thought this journey was about finding what is similar or different. But slowly, I realized it is about something deeper. As international students, in the process of comparing and searching for familiarity, we begin to discover ourselves: who we are and what we want.

The United States, and for me, Ohio, Columbus and The Ohio State University, have become a second home, not because it is the same, but because it allows us to grow through both the old and the new. For that, I am grateful as America marks its 250th year."