It’s hard to believe it’s already been two weeks since we arrived in the USA. Time has flown by so quickly. After a grueling 22-hour flight and battling jet lag, we finally began our new life here. Our belongings are still packed away, stuck in a shipping container, while the four of us arrived with just eight pieces of luggage—enough to get us through the next two months. Everything still feels so surreal.
It is a Thursday morning, the coolness of autumn wrapped around us like a soft, chilly blanket as we took a deep, appreciative breath, it feels like it’s going to be a wonderful day. This is our first autumn in the United States, and everything seemed new: the golden leaves fluttering down from the trees, the smell of wood smoke curling from chimneys, the sound of kids laughing as they raced around the yard next door.
Today, we are going to head out and check out of the most popular autumn tradition: the pumpkin patch. The patch was more than just a place to pick pumpkins; it was a symbol of something new—something to hold on to in the whirlwind of change. Since our family had arrived in the U.S., so much had been unfamiliar: the people, the customs, and the rhythms of daily life.
Lindner Pumpkin Farm: https://www.lindnerspumpkinfarm.com
As we pulled into the parking lot, the patch lays before us like something out of a storybook, a sprawling sea of orange and green vines weaving together across the field. Families wandered through the corn maze with its tall stalk swaying in the breeze, take a dip down the giant slide, while the animal lovers feed the farm animal. The kids marvelled at the sight of the smooth skin of a pumpkin, feeling its weight and the coolness of its orange rind. They imagined how it would look sitting on their porch, a smiling jack-o’-lantern glowing softly in the evening darkness. The rows of pumpkins seemed endless, stretching far out beyond the horizon, each one with its own character, its own story.
The following weeks were busy as Steven settling in his new job, the rest of us continue with our house hunting, in search for a suitable house within our desired school district. Since public schools in the U.S. are largely funded through local property taxes, students typically attend schools within the boundaries of the district where their family resides. This means that to secure a spot in a desired school, families often need to live in the designated area, which can involve paying higher property taxes to the local council. As a result, homes in desirable school districts are often more expensive and in higher demand, making them less available.
For those looking to move to Illinois, this is where you can get more information on school district: https://www.isbe.net
I also recommend these websites to check school ratings and ratio of students from different ethnicity, number of students in the school etc: https://www.greatschools.org, https://www.niche.com
However, the review and ratings are not 100% conclusive, I would suggest to visit the community and check out the school during after school pick up to have a general idea of the area and community feel.
Amidst our busy schedule, we also try to slot in some hiking over the weekend and with Columbus Day, making it a long weekend, we manage to do a short road trip to Upper Peninsula (U.P) in Michigan. Pictured Rock Lakeshore park blew our mind away , it has to be one of the best hikes we have done in a long time. The 16km Chapel/Mosquito Loop Hiking trail is very scenic and it took us 5.5 hours to complete as we couldn’t help but taking photos at every turn. The weather was perfect that day, with nice breeze as we started our hike among towering forest trees, their colours just starting to turn vibrant shades of yellow and red. After 2 hours of hike, we found ourselves in awe of the stunning Chapel Rock, adorned by a 250-years old lone white pine tree. As we continued our walk, we enjoyed the breathtaking view of the shoreline and striking turquoise waters of Lake Superior, with a glimpse of Canadian Border just across the lake.
For hiking, I strongly recommend downloading All Trails Appshttps://www.alltrails.com. We did not subscribe and only use its FREE version and it helps us navigate through a couple of trails already. Subscription will help you download offline trail to use when you are headed to trails with no 3G line.
Kitch-iti-kipi, which also means “big cold water” in the local Ojibwe language, is a must visit if you are in the U.P Michigan area. It is a natural freshwater spring located in the Palms Book State Park. It is the largest spring in Michigan, with water flowing at a constant temperature of 45°F (7°C). The spring is crystal clear, revealing the limestone bottom and the aquatic life below, including large fish and submerged trees. We took a ride in its unique, hand operated, glass-bottom boat to view the spring’s depths, the kids enjoyed operating the floating platform and enjoyed the tranquillity of the area.
Time seems to fly, and before we know it, it’s the end of October. Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, brings a festive atmosphere filled with costumes, candy, and a touch of spooky fun. It’s a favorite time for children, who eagerly dress up as superheroes, ghosts, or beloved cartoon characters and go door-to-door in the cherished tradition of “trick-or-treating.” Homes are often adorned with pumpkins, cobwebs, and eerie lights, creating a playful, ghoulish ambiance. We had a wonderful time strolling through the neighborhood, admiring all the creative decorations and soaking in the Halloween vibes. Back in Dubai, Halloween was also widely celebrated, with homes decorated in the spirit of the season. As the evening fell, children would wander through the community with their orange pails, ready to trick or treat.
Despite the warm weather in Dubai, the kids were never deterred from donning their favorite costumes. Interestingly, Halloween traditions in both places are quite similar—houses that participate in the fun are the ones adorned with Halloween decorations, signaling a warm invitation to all the little trick-or-treaters. However, this year as we trick-or-treat in Chicago, the strong wind reminds us that this year our Halloween is not warm at all and a cold winter is approaching. Nevertheless, the children had a great time walking around the neighbourhood and it is always nice to see many children get together for this season. One month in, and this is becoming part of our new life—part of the home we will build together in this strange, new place.
